Geography

1. General names and terms:

舆地, 方舆 : „chassis-like earth“ , „square chassis“, found in geographical

writings in the general sense of the earth or territory

浑天仪: „revolving sky instrument“, an astronomical sigting and measuring

instrument comprised of several graduated rings, each one representing
the path of movement of a heavenly body

籍贯/原籍: „place of registry“, the seat of one’s lineage and the place
where one is legally registered for purposes of taxation,
conscription,corvee, and census

九州: According to 《尚书·禹贡》, Yu 禹 divided the world into Nine

Provinces - 冀、豫、雍、扬、兖、徐、梁、青、荆

山海经: „ Canon on Mountains and Seas“, the most famous compilation

describing fantastic places and strange beings, which is a composite of
several texts written at different times

方志: „ Local Gazetteer“, in which local history was recorded

东南西北/东西南北: two conventional sequences for listing the Four

Quarters

http://www.chinapage.com/map/ancient/direction.html

2. Administrative units

First-order administrative units (Province):

 州 ( Han to Sui) , 道( Tang and Liao) , 路( Song, Jin and Yuan) , 省( Ming and
Qing)

Second- order administrative units (Prefecture):

郡( Qin to Sui) , 州( Tang and several dynasties), 府( basically Tang to Qing)

Third-order administrative units ( County):

县( all dynasties)

Local units:

城: walled city

邑: town

市: market, market place or market town

阙: passes through mountain ranges or fortified gateways

乡: moderately large rural or semi-rural area

村, 社, 里, 邻, 镇, 店, 莊, 店, 铺, 营, 亭, 集, 厝: generally translated as “village”

3. Abbreviations for Chinese Provinces

4. 同名异地 and 同地异名

同名异地 „ different places with the same name“

山东：战国时称六国为山东，秦国在关中，六国在崤（yáo）山函谷关以东，故称。贾
谊《过秦论》：“山东豪俊，遂并起而亡秦族矣。”汉时指为齐鲁一带地方。《汉 书·
儒林传》：伏生得《尚书》二十九篇，“以教于齐鲁之间，齐学者由此颇能言《尚
书》，山东大师亡不涉《尚书》以教。”

江南：《史记·货殖列传》：“江南豫章长沙。”当指今天的湖南、江西、两广一带地
方。现在的江南，汉时称为江东。《史 记·项羽本纪》：“纵江东父兄怜而王我，我何
面目见之。”

北京：西晋时的北京是洛阳，南朝时的北京是京口，北魏时的北京是山西大同，唐五
代的北京是太原，北宋时的北京是大名府，即今河北省大名县，明初的北京是开封，
明清时的北京是今天的北京。

扬州：六朝的扬州治所是今天的南京，隋以后才移到今天的扬州市。

南京：北宋时的南京是宋州，即今河南商丘市。
苏州：唐代的苏州，所辖包括今苏州、上海、嘉兴等地，范围大于今天的苏州好几倍。

蓟(jì)：南北朝以前指今天的北京，唐以后指今河北省蓟县。

2、同地异名 „same place with different names“

杭州：隋朝始置杭州，后移治钱唐（县），故称钱唐。唐朝时改称馀杭（郡）。南宋
时称临安（府），民国时称杭县。杭州旧称武林，以山得名，（武林山者，灵隐、天
竺诸山之总名也）。五代钱鏐建立吴越国，置钱江、仁和两县，并为杭州治。宋改称
仁和。明清时并为杭州府治。

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