An old picture of Cangbai Road

Street Map of Chongqing in the 1930s

Fotuguan in the past

Tongyuan Gate

Zourong Road in the 1960s

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Place names may be generated from natural environment, historical events, personal legends or important buildings and ruins. Some characteristic place names disappeared or are disappearing due to reconstruction of old city or population migration. These old place names originated with a special history. Let us introduce the origin of some well-known place names in main districts to you.

Yihaoqiao (No. 1 Bridge)

It was called No. 2 Bridge before and used to be the second bridge on the artery of north part. It stretched across Daxigou, but was renamed as Siwei Bridge after the completion. So the No.2 Bridge under planning got a new name, No. 1 Bridge. It was an attraction and even a landmark of Chongqing for a long time.

Baixiang (white elephant) Street 

It’s said that there was a huge stone like an elephant by the city wall between Wanglong Gate and Taiping Gate, which gave it the name Baixiang (white elephant). Baixiang was located at the north bank, with Shizi (lion) Mountain at the south bank, so a saying of “green lion and white elephant protect the wealth of Chongqing” was generated. Before the Revolution of 1911, the center of old Chongqing seated at the lower urban area. Sub-district was formed near Baixiang Stone, which made it Baixiang Street. It was close to Taiping Gate and a governmental department. As the development of water transportation, merchants and boatmen had to deal with officials when they carried goods into Chongqing. Then, many warehouses and commercial houses appeared, which made Baixiang Street prosperous. After the opening of Chongqing port, foreign merchants were confined to south bank, that is, they couldn’t enter the city without permits. Compradors came into being then, which made Baixiang Street a station for various compradors and offices of commercial houses. Then the oldest foreign-style houses occurred.

Shibati (eighteen stairs)

Chongqing is a city with high mountains and rough roads. There are too many place names related to such landforms, such as Jiuchikan and Leijiapo, while Shibati with a great reputation. Back then, it connected Nanji Gate, Jinzi Gate and the upper urban area, becoming a famous business street. On the evening of June 5, 1941, Japanese bombers conducted air raids against Chongqing for more than 5 hours, killing tens of thousands of people in the tunnel which was built from Shibati to connect Baoan Road (now Bayi Road).

Fotuguan (tiger pass)

In ancient times, Chongqing was only connected to the west. Three passes were built at the west part of Chongqing to protect the city, including Fotu Pass, Erlang Pass and Longdong Pass. Fotu Pass was also known as Futu Pass. According to textual researches, both names were derived from Chu language “wu tu” which means tiger. It is located at the ridge of Eling Mountain. There were two reasons for the name gained. The first one was the steep cliffs which was easy to defend while difficult to attack. At that time, the Ba people traveled to the west along the Yangtze River. When they arrived at Chongqing, they used “wu tu”, familiar to Chu language to name Fotuguan, which was the second reason.

Eling (goose neck)

There is a long mountain ridge before Fotuguan, looking like the neck of a goose, which made it the name of Eling (goose neck). Such vivid place names should be borrowed and protected. It is a highland in Chongqing, key passage connecting Chongqing to other places, as well as “geomantic treasure place” of Chongqing. Eling Park is located here for people to clime high and gaze far; that is, viewing prosperous city, the intersection of two rivers and various bridges. (Translated by Mao Qiao, Fathom Language Limited)