Place names that you can’t pronounce without looking them up in a dictionary
1. Xuyi
I believe that when many people first see this place name, they will involuntarily pronounce it as Yutai. However, the correct pronunciation of Xuyi is xūyí.
Xuyi is a county under the jurisdiction of Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province. It has a long history. It belonged to the State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period and was the place where princes gathered for alliance. Qin Shihuang unified China and implemented the system of prefectures and counties. Xuyi established a county, first named "Xutai" and later "Xuyi". During the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty set up a palace (Duliang Harem) in Xuyi, also known as "Duliang".
2. Xiaoting
Xiaoting is a district under the jurisdiction of Yichang City, Hubei Province. The correct pronunciation is xiāo tíng. Xiao Pavilion got its name from the Western Han Dynasty. The roar of the tiger is "Xiao", and there is one pavilion every ten miles away, so it is called "Xiao Pavilion".
Although Xiaoting is small, it has been a battleground for military strategists in history. The most famous one is the Battle of Yiling, which determined the fate of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period. The camp was burned for 700 miles and Liu Bei defeated Xiaoting. There were also the Battle of Jiangguan when Yang Su attacked Chen, the Battle of Suoqiao when the Western Jin Dynasty conquered Wu, and Wu Sangui's defeat of Yiling, all of which took place in Xiaoting.
3. Kantuan
Kantuan is a town in Lixin County, Bozhou City, Anhui Province. The correct pronunciation is kān tuǎn. It is said that Kan Tuan was named after Kan Ze, a figure from the Three Kingdoms.
During the Three Kingdoms period, when the war was raging, Kanze took in many orphans and let them cultivate fields in the village and become self-sufficient. Since there are many fields around the village, and there are many children in that village, it is called "Tuan". In order to commemorate Kan Ze's good deeds, later generations named the village "Kantuan".
4. Luzhi
Luzhi is an ancient town in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The correct pronunciation is lù zhí. The local water port flows in six directions, so it is also called Liuzhi.
Luzhi has a long history, dating back more than 2,500 years. According to research on unearthed cultural relics, ancestors lived here about six thousand years ago. In 221 BC, the State of Qin established a county here, called Wu County; in 696 AD, Wu Zetian divided Wu County into Changzhou County; in 1607 AD, Emperor Wanli set up an inspection department here (Liuzhi).
5. Guanzhi Mountain
Guanzhi Mountain is a scenic spot in Liancheng County, Fujian Province. It is very famous in the province. The correct pronunciation is guàn zhài shān. The character "豸" in Guanzhi Mountain has always been pronounced as zhài in the local area. It is a mythical beast in ancient legends that is loyal, persistent, fair and honest, and can distinguish right from wrong. This is where the name Guanzhi Mountain comes from.
6. Bozhou
Bozhou is a prefecture-level city in Anhui, also known as Qiao City. It is a famous medicine capital. The correct pronunciation is bó zhōu. In ancient times, from Emperor Ku to Shang Tang, all had their capitals in Bo. There are three Bos. During the Northern Anniversary Period, in order to commemorate Nanbo, one of the three ancient capitals, it was renamed Bozhou.
7. 镕铘岛
镕铘岛 is located in the southeast corner of Rongcheng City, Shandong Province. The correct pronunciation is mò yé dǎo. The island is named after its shape, which resembles a sword. The west end of the island is the hilt of the sword, and the east end is the tip of the sword, pointing directly to the Yellow Sea. There are also some place names on the island related to smelting and sword-making.
It is said that King Helu of Wu liked swords very much, so he asked the most powerful swordsman in the country to make swords for him. Later, Gan Jiang and his wife Moye forged two swords, one named Gan Jiang and the other Moye. And 锆铓岛 is like this sword.
8. Quqiu
Quqiu is located in Zhangbei County, Hebei Province. The place name is derived from Mongolian, and the correct pronunciation is kūlüè. It is said that Quqi was first borrowed from Chinese to Mongolian, and later spread from Mongolia to the Central Plains. In Mongolian, Qukui refers to the earthen wall, also translated as "Kulun".
In addition to being used as a place name, Quqi is also a kind of pasta in Shanxi. It is shaped like a ring and is equivalent to a "longevity lock". When the child born to a newlywed couple is one month old, the mother's family, relatives and friends will send "圐圙" to them in the hope that the child will live a long life.
9. She County
She County is affiliated to Huangshan City, Anhui Province. Its ancient name is Shezhou. Together with Lijiang, Pingyao and Langzhong, it is also known as the four ancient cities in China. The correct pronunciation is shè xiàn. According to historical records, there is a river called Shepu south of She County, and the county seat is located on the water, hence its name. Another theory is that Shecongxi means gathering. Many rivers converge at the Xin'an River here, making it a geomantic treasure land that attracts mountains and water.
She County has a long history. According to the research of unearthed cultural relics, people have been living there since the Paleolithic Age.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, She County belonged to the State of Wu, and in the early Warring States Period, it belonged to the State of Yue, and later to the State of Chu. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang established Dingdu Tianfu, and placed She County under Zhili. In the early years of Yongle, the capital was moved to Beijing, and Zhili was renamed Nanzhili. Referred to as Nanzhi; during the Kangxi period, Jiangnan Province was split into Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province, and She County belonged to Anhui Province.
10. Xushuguan
Xushuguan, referred to as Xuguan by the locals, is close to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. There are no uncommon characters in this place name, and everyone recognizes it, but few people can pronounce it correctly, because its correct pronunciation is xǔ shù guān.
According to legend, in 210 BC, Qin Shihuang visited the south to seek the sword of King Wu and dug up the tomb of King Wu Helu. During the excavation, a white tiger was seen squatting on the mountain. Qin Shihuang ordered people to chase him for more than 20 miles, but the white tiger disappeared. After that, the place where the white tiger disappeared was called "Hu Zan (liú)".
In the Tang Dynasty, because the grandfather of the great ancestor Li Yuan was named Li Hu. In order to avoid the taboo in their names, various places have changed their names with the character "tiger", and "Hu Zhuan" has therefore been changed to "Hu Zhuan".
During the Five Dynasties, the founding emperor of Wu and Yue was named Qian Liu, which has the same pronunciation as Qian. In order to avoid the taboo of its name, "Hu Zhuan" was changed to "Hu Shu". In the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River. When he came to "Xushu", he was impressed by the beautiful scenery in front of him and blurted out "What a Xushu Pass". At that time, Qianlong originally mispronounced the word, but no one dared to stand up and correct it, so Xushuguan has always been called "Xushuguan".