If Runan Sounds So Beautiful, Why Was It Changed to Zhumadian?

Author / Yiren Cinema

It is just like how people always ask why Changshan was changed to Shijiazhuang. Actually, it wasn't changed; Shijiazhuang was always Shijiazhuang, it was Changshan that was changed to Zhengding.

Changshan wasn't originally called Changshan either, but Hengshan. Because of the naming taboo regarding Liu Heng, Emperor Wen of Han, it was changed to Changshan. As a result, thanks to Zhao Yun, Changshan became incredibly famous.

The transition from Changshan to Zhengding,伴随着 the overlapping between prefectures and counties, saw Changshan Commandery and Zhending Prefecture coexisting for a long time, and separated at other times. This is quite complicated and not the main focus of this article, so I won't elaborate. By the Northern Wei Dynasty, Changshan became Zhending. Then, all the way to the Qing Dynasty, to avoid the naming taboo of Emperor Yongzheng (Yinzhen), it was changed to Zhengding. Up to the present day, it has been called Zhengding.

The rise of Shijiazhuang was due to the Jinghan Railway. At the time, the Zhengtai Railway was being constructed. When selecting the station site, because the Jinghan and Zhengtai railways intersected, the location was crucial and required more space. Some friends pointed out that the Zhengtai Railway was narrow-gauge, differing from the broad-gauge of the Jinghan Railway. To transfer goods, they had to be unloaded and then reloaded onto the trains of the other line, which meant the newly built station had to be large. However, Zhengding was located north of the Hutuo River, offering little room for expansion, and building a station across the river required massive investment. Therefore, the transportation hub was chosen in Shijiazhuang, located south of the Hutuo River. As a result, this small village rapidly grew and prospered because it possessed the transport hub. The authentic Zhengding, on the other hand, stagnated and fell behind.

Note that the Zhengtai Railway ran from Zhengding to Taiyuan, which is the current Shitai Line; at that time, Shijiazhuang was still classified under Zhengding. However, for locals, the two places were separated by a river and tens of kilometers apart, so they had to be distinguished. Thus, Shijiazhuang was Shijiazhuang, and Zhengding was Zhengding; they were no longer confused, and Shijiazhuang officially grew dominant.

Shijiazhuang gradually developed into the "International Village" (a playful nickname for the city). Zhengding, meanwhile, became just a suburban county of Shijiazhuang. Shijiazhuang was briefly called Shimen because the station at the time was located in the middle of Shijiazhuang Village, Xiumen, and Licun, occupying their land. When the Republic of China government named it in 1925, it took one character from each of the two nearest villages, Shijiazhuang and Xiumen, and called it Shimen. However, locals did not accept this name, just as they had initially refused to accept the station being called Zhengding Station. Coupled with the various chaos of the Nationalist Government, the name Shimen never really caught on. It wasn't until 1939, during the Japanese puppet regime, that "Shimen City" was officially established. Then, in 1947, our army liberated Shimen and immediately restored the name Shijiazhuang, symbolizing a complete break from the old era. This is similar to how, after liberating Zhangyuan City, the capital of Chahar Province, it was restored to its old name, Zhangjiakou, because Zhangyuan was a name given only after the Nationalist Government defeated the Beiyang Government, lasting a very short time. Shijiazhuang was officially called Shimen for only 8 short years, from 1939 to 1947—a fleeting moment. (If anyone mentions Shijiazhuang being called Shimen again, locals can scold them for endorsing the Japanese puppet regime and being utterly treasonous.)

A similar case is Shenzhen. Originally just a small fishing village under Bao'an County, Shenzhen rapidly developed because of its proximity to Hong Kong, becoming a world metropolis. Bao'an County, on the other hand, became just Bao'an District under Shenzhen's jurisdiction.

The same logic applies to Zhumadian. Zhumadian is Zhumadian, and Runan is Runan. Zhumadian also rose to prominence because of transportation, as the Jinghan Railway passed through it. The pre-existing Runan, meanwhile, became a county under Zhumadian's jurisdiction.

This situation can be described as "possession"—the younger brother taking over and achieving a counterattack, rather than a mere renaming. Once the younger brother takes over, the original big brother is no longer the boss and instead becomes the underling. It's like Hitler: originally, he gained trust by flattering Hindenburg, and with Hindenburg's support, smoothly ascended to the Chancellorship. But once Hitler took power, he immediately showed his true colors. Hindenburg was reduced to a mascot, a discarded tool of "Little Mustache," completely marginalized.

Shijiazhuang, Shenzhen, and Zhumadian were all originally small villages that didn't sound very sophisticated, but thanks to locational advantages, they eventually surpassed their superiors. The word "zhen" in Shenzhen originally means a ditch by a field, used for irrigation and drainage. Shenzhen means a deep ditch—a very rustic original name.

A comment mentioned Zaozhuang, which is also correct. Zaozhuang was originally just a small village abundant in jujubes. During the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, coal was discovered. Li Hongzhang was ordered by imperial decree to open a coal mine there, and it began to grow. Rising because of the mine, Zaozhuang slowly developed from a small village into a large city. The neighboring Lanling, on the other hand, remained in a slow, primitive state of development and was gradually "possessed" by Zaozhuang.

Zhumadian did actually change its name. Originally, it was called Zhumadian (Ramie Shop). Because that area was rich in ramie in ancient times, Zhumadian was a trading and distribution center for ramie. Before cotton was introduced to the Central Plains on a large scale, linen was the primary clothing material in the region. Silk was a luxury, exclusive to the nobility, and unaffordable for commoners. Cotton was introduced to China quite early, as far back as the Qin and Han dynasties. However, it wasn't until the Yuan Dynasty, when Huang Daopo significantly improved textile technology, that cotton cultivation began to be promoted. Later, during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign, society stabilized, and cotton was truly widely cultivated on a large scale. More comfortable cotton cloth thus replaced linen as the main clothing material for Chinese people, linen gradually exited the mainstream, and the cultivation of hemp shrank. For many people today, it is already impossible to distinguish the differences between ramie, flax, and hemp.

Similar examples include Chengdu, also known as Jinguan City, which originally meant the official trading and distribution center for Shu brocade. There is also Hami; looking at the characters, you can tell it is closely related to the local specialty, the Hami melon. I am from Heze, Shandong. In my hometown, there are villages called Zhangyoufang (Zhang Oil Mill), Zhujiang Wangzhuang (Bamboo Craftsman Wang Village), and Wangcaiyuan (Wang Vegetable Garden), and even a Hanjian Mazhuang (Traitor Ma Village). Hearing the name, you immediately know what they produce. Zhumadian (Ramie Shop) follows the same logic. (Someone asked if Hanjian Mazhuang is real? Of course it is, because this Ma Village was close to the county town. During the Anti-Japanese War, Shandong was an occupied area, and the Japanese were stationed in the county town. The people of that village worked for the Japanese. As a result, they were called Hanjian (Traitor) Mazhuang by other villages. Of course, the villagers themselves only call it Mazhuang, and the village monument and officials only refer to it as Mazhuang, which is its official name. But in the eyes of outsiders, it is called Hanjian Mazhuang. Once this label is attached, it is hard to tear off.)

Because the official post road passed through Zhumadian, in the tenth year of the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty, this place became a north-south relay station, and Prince Chongjian, Zhu Jianze, set up a post station here. Zhu Jianze was the only biological younger brother of Emperor Xianzong of Ming, Zhu Jianshen. To strengthen communication between his enfeoffed territory, Runing Prefecture's Ruyang (present-day Runan), and Beijing, he established a relay station here. The establishment of the station made it a vital transport route with frequent traffic. Because the name "Zhumadian" (Ramie Shop) had little connection to the function of a relay station, it was renamed "Zhumadian" (Stationed Horse Inn). Moreover, due to the promotion of cotton cultivation, local ramie cultivation had become a thing of the past, and the name "Zhumadian" had become an empty shell, so it needed to be changed according to reality.

Same pronunciation, different characters. "Zhuma" (stationed horses) reflects the relay station's function of providing a place for people and horses to stop and rest, while "dian" (inn) further emphasizes its attribute as a service establishment. This name better fit its positioning as a vital communication hub and has been used ever since.

Beijing has many hutongs, which also underwent various name changes based on homophones. For example, "Lüshi Hutong" (Donkey Market Hutong) was changed to "Lishi Hutong" (Courteous Scholar Hutong), "Gouweiba Hutong" (Dog Tail Hutong) to "Gaoyibo Hutong", "Tiaozhou Hutong" (Broom Hutong) to "Taozhu Hutong", "Chuizhou Hutong" (Stove Broom Hutong) to "Chuizhu Hutong", "Houwei Hutong" (Monkey Tail Hutong) to "Houwei Hutong" (Marquis Status Hutong), "Shaojiu Hutong" (Baijiu Hutong) to "Shaojiu Hutong", "Zhuweiba Hutong" (Pig Tail Hutong) to "Zhuweibo Hutong", "Hezhima Hutong" (Paper Horse Hutong) to "Heizhima Hutong" (Black Sesame Hutong), "Shikelang Hutong" (Dung Beetle Hutong) to "Shikeliang Hutong" (Time Bright Hutong), "Zhushikou" (Pig Market Entrance) to "Zhushikou" (Pearl Market Entrance), "Lanmian Hutong" (Rotten Noodle Hutong) to "Lanman Hutong" (Brilliant Hutong), "Shaobing Hutong" (Baked Flatbread Hutong) to "Shouping Hutong", "Guanchang Hutong" (Sausage Hutong) to "Guanchang Hutong" (Official Field Hutong), "Youzhaguo Hutong" (Fried Dough Hutong) to "Youguo Hutong", and "Hongchang Hutong" (Red Factory Hutong) to "Hongchang Hutong".

Other examples, like Hefei, actually relate to the Fei River from the "Battle of Fei River". Because the South Fei River and North Fei River converge there, it was named "Hefei" (Converged Fei). As a result of linguistic evolution, the water radical was removed, and "Hefei" became "Hefei" (which literally translates to "Fat Together"), inexplicably gaining a comical sense. If it were still called "Hefei", its vibe would be at least twice as classy.

There is also Foshan (Buddha Mountain). Originally called Feitu Mountain (Fertile Earth Mountain), or Feishan (Fertile Mountain), because the land was fertile and rich in products. But later, due to accent issues and subsequent aesthetic refinement by literati, Feishan became Foshan, instantly elevated and radiating an immortal aura.

This also includes Shanghai, which wasn't named because it faces the sea. Originally, there were two tributaries on the Wusong River: one upstream was called Shanghai Pu, and the other downstream was called Xiahai Pu. Initially, this was the territory of Huating County (present-day Songjiang District). By the third year of the Xianchun era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1267), a town was established locally. Because it was close to the upstream tributary, it was casually called Shanghai Pu. Over time, it became Shanghai. It wasn't until the Yuan Dynasty that Shanghai County was officially established, subordinate to Songjiang Prefecture. Now, the roles have reversed: Songjiang has become a district of Shanghai. By the way, Shanghai also has a Xiahai Temple, which preserves a sliver of historical memory, leaving a trace of Xiahai Pu.

There is nothing to criticize about these things; they are all part of history. We just need to respect them.

Source: Zhihu Daily