Third Season of "Chinese Place Names Conference" Show is Back

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The Ministry of Civil Affairs and China Media Group have launched the third season of "China Place Names Conference" in an effort to promote China's superb place name culture. It will begin airing on CCTV-4 on December 17th at 17:30 on every Saturday and Sunday.

The program builds on the strengths of the previous two seasons by analyzing the Chinese wisdom concealed in place names, using knowledge of place names as the carrier to deeply explore the main theme of "seeing culture from place names and seeing China from culture," focusing on helping the audience understand the essence of Chinese culture, perceive the rich connotation of place name stories, and experience the real, three-dimensional world around them, exhibiting the self-assurance of Chinese culture virtually while showcasing the rich history of Chinese place names culture and socialist fundamental values.

The cultural variety performance "China Place Names Conference" is well-liked by the audience, inclusive of all people, and committed to sustainable growth. The third season included new ideas and enhanced the presentation, content, and competition structure of the show. In terms of the competition system, the combination of team battles and individual battles enables players to obtain individual victories through individual efforts in addition to team honors, giving each player a greater sense of contribution and value. 

In terms of content, this season will concentrate on the understanding of place names that the audience is familiar with but not fully adept at, in order to pique their interest and encourage participation, enhance the output quality of place name knowledge, and fully illustrate the positive pattern of "emphasizing science and emphasizing practicality" in the current development of place name culture in China. Regarding presentation techniques, it is conveyed through a short film set in a very aesthetically striking setting that also extracts information on place names' cultural, geographic, and historical contexts, showcasing the grandeur and beauty of China.

To create a stunning visual impression and a novel approach to question framing, the program also employs a variety of techniques such as XR technology, fascinating animations, interactive objects, and special product tasting.

Use the place name as a guide to help you find your route; mark the location and keep an eye on the future. The third season of "China Place Names Conference" explores the historical changes, enduring cultural influences, and contemporary design motifs that have influenced Chinese place names in various ways. It also acknowledges the listeners' journeys that place names take them on as they visit far-off cultural locales.

Etymology of Chinese provinces' names

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As a native Chinese there are several (minor) mistakes I found.

1. The word “Zhou” is usually translated to prefectures, not states or regions (Guizhou and Gansu), unless it refers to states in a federal country like the US.

2. Although the word “川” means river in most contexts, it is not the case in the etymology of Sichuan. Sichuan is an abbreviation of “Chuanxia si lu/川峡四路”, (lit. the four circuits of plain and gorge) that merged to form the province. The four circuits themselves were part of a larger “Chuanxia lu/川峡路”(lit. the plain and gorge circuit) before it split in four. The “Chuanxia circuit” was itself a merger of Xichuan circuit (西川路 (lit. Western plain circuit, centered around Chengdu) and Xia circuit (峡路, lit. Gorge circuit, referring to the famous Three Gorges of Yangtze River).

3. The Chinese name for Tibet, Xizang, is the transliteration of the Tibetan region of Ü-Tsang (although the modern-day Tibet AR extends beyond that particular region). The Ü-Tsang includes modern day Lhasa and Shigaze.

4. The “廣”/Guang in Guangdong and Guangxi doesn’t mean wide, but Grand. The name of the two sister provinces are abbreviations of Guangnan East/West circuit/廣南東/西路. The “Guang” here refers to the Han Dynasty county of Guangxin (廣信, which is an abbreviation of the phrase 廣布恩信, lit. Grand propagation of virtue).

5. The Yun/雲 within Yunnan derived from the Han Dynasty county of the same name. Where the county received its name is disputed.

6. There aren’t errors in this part per se, just some additional contexts: Jiangxi is an abbreviation of Song Dynasty’s Jiangnan West Circuit. Jiangnan means to the south of Yangtze. Hubei and Hunan are abbreviations of Jinghu North/South circuits. The Jinghu region includes but is greater than just the lake.

If you noticed, there are a lot of abbreviations of circuits (Song/Liao/Jin/Western Xia Dynasty administrative division) in Chinese province names. That’s because provinces first appeared after the Mongol conquest.