Commercial interests

The case in Zhengzhou is not an isolated one, though, and in recent years many cultural and place names have been changed for reasons of commercial interest, not capriciousness.

One well-known example is the renaming of Zhongdian, a county in Yunnan province. In 2001, the county whose original name meant "Central Land" decided to rename itself Xianggelila, or Shangri-La, after the fictional paradise in James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost Horizon. The move has been justified by a resultant boom in the local tourist industry.

Moreover, about 30 years ago, the Huizhou region of Anhui province was renamed Huangshan city, or "Yellow Mountain City", partly because of changes at the administrative level. The move was widely debated by residents, some of whom were in favor while others were opposed.

Despite the objections, both Shangri-La and Huangshan have completed the required administrative procedures and been approved by the State Council.

Inspectors working on the national survey of place names will check all names and related information, decide on official names for places usually referred to by a range of local titles and erect the appropriate signs.

The national database of place names will be updated to include new information about locations, and an archive of geographical features that will include names, photos, the history of the name, and all documents relating to names, should be completed by the end of June 2018.

Contact the writer at zhang_yi@chinadaily.com.cn