Chengdu Means What?! How China Names Its Cities

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00:00 - Intro
00:21 - American Cities
00:58 - Wuhu
01:16 - Shanghai
01:40 - Hong Kong
01:55 - Canton
03:23 - Beijing
04:28 - Tokyo
06:18 - Chengdu
07:44 - Chongqing
08:34 - Hohhot
09:06 - Lhasa


Chinese cities have some of the most unusual, beautiful, and downright nutty names you’ll ever hear. But what do they actually mean? In this episode of Learn Chinese Now, we take a wild ride through China’s map—unpacking ancient meanings, poetic names, historical transformations, and a few transliteration mishaps along the way.

From Weedy Lakes to Land of the Gods, from imperial capitals to Mongolian skies, you’ll never look at a Chinese city name the same way again.

🎥 Featuring names like:

北京 (Beijing) – “Northern Capital”

成都 (Chengdu) – “Become a Capital”

蕪湖 (Wuhu) – “Weedy Lake”

香港 (Hong Kong) – “Fragrant Harbor”

拉萨 (Lhasa) – “Land of the Gods”

💬 Which name surprised you the most? Comment below and let’s build the funniest map ever.

🧠 Learn Chinese, laugh out loud, and explore deep culture—all in one video.
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