Learn how to pronounce
local geographical names -
and know what they mean.

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

Learn my other
Lijiang/Shangri La
tips and insights

Lijiang
Top 5- Nearby attraction - Ranked
Tips - When to go and not go
Tips - Avoiding altitude sickness
Tips - Mountain cable car ride
Tips - More
Tips - Some more
Lijiang insights
Photo gallery

Shangri-La
Top 5  attractions - Ranked
Tips - When to go
Tips - Getting to Shangri-La
Tips - Zhongdian name confusion
Shangri-La insights
Photo gallery

More topics
Pronouncing Yunnan names
Yunnan highlights map
Lost Horizon - The book
Lost Horizon - The film
Lost Horizon - Location debate

Also read
Wonders of China - Top 10 rankings
China Wonders map
Chinese cuisine

 

CNTO

 

World's Top 100 Wonders
World's Top 1000 Wonders

Site map
My credentials
About my website and criteria
Reader testimonials