Yunnan place names

pronunciations and translations

A guide to
local names
in Yunan

Learn how to pronounce local names - and know their meanings.

Baishui
bye-sh'wee
Bai = "white" and "shui" = "water"

Deqin
duh-ching
Translates as "place of pleasant songs and dances"

Jingsha
jing-shaw
The upper Yangtze River goes by this name in the Lijiang and Shangri-La area. It means "golden sands", referring to the days when gold was actively panned along the river.

Lijiang
lee-zhee-ang
"Beautiful riverside"

Naxi
nah-shee
The largest ethnic minority in Lijiang

Shangri-La
shang-ree-lah
No one knows for sure its derivation, but a popular theory says that it was borrowed from a Tibetan word meaning "the moon and the sun in Tibetan's heart" or "land of sacredness".

Shigu
shee-goo'
Shi = "stone" and gu = "strong"

Songzanlin
song-zahng-ling
Songzan = "three gods are playing happily" and ling = "monastery"

Yunnan
you-nahn
"Clouds of the southern sky" or "south of the clouds"

Zhongdian
joang-dee-ahn
Zhong = "middle" and "dian" = grassland

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What every visitor should know.

Lijiang & Shangri-La

I hope your China travel dreams come true - and that 

my page on the pronunciations and meanings of local names

helps you enjoy your vacation, tour or trip

©2008 HQP / Hillman Quality Publications