Xiamen boasts 69 place names dating back 1,000 years

The City Civil Administration Bureau announced recently the results of the second national toponym (place name) survey, noting that 69 place names in Xiamen date back more than 1,000 years, including the names of local counties, towns and villages.

Examples include Xueling Village, which was established on the island of Xiamen in the year 755 during the Tang Dynasty. The villages of Guzhai, Houpu and Jinbing in Xiang'an all date back at least to the year 686.

More than 1,150 ancient place names in Xiamen have vanished since the Ming and Qing dynasties due to urban development. In 2012, China issued its toponymical culture heritage identification standard in an effort to protect longstanding place names.

Between 2006 and 2017, Xiamen adopted more than 3,000 new place names, the vast majority drawing on traditional place names. The city also intends to issue a protection list of city-level toponymical culture heritage this year.

Pictured is Xiaodeng Island in Xiang'an.

By Vivian Zhang and Lin Jiahui

Photos by Wang Huoyan and Zhang Qihui