'Exotic names' will soon vanish
By sally on 2016-07-25

The Chinese government is moving to ban "exotic" names given to places, buildings and complexes to protect and preserve traditional culture. In recent years, real estate developers and some local governments have chosen names based on locations and buildings overseas, such as "Manhattan" and "Venice". The use has proliferated, causing as much anger as amusement and prompting heated debate on public and online forums.

Critics say the foreign names undermine long-standing cultural traditions and don't reflect Chinese core values. The authorities are now cracking down and have ordered that all foreign names must be eradicated by June next year.

Would you like to start your day with coffee and croissants in Provence, before heading to Venice to grab a pizza for lunch and following it up with a trip to Manhattan to take in a show?

If the answer is "yes", you can achieve all three ambitions by taking an "international tour" of Zhengzhou, the capital of Central China's Henan province.

"Provence" and "Venice" are modern residential buildings in the city, while "Manhattan" is a commercial square, which includes a financial center and a medical facility, built about 10 years ago and named after the famous New York borough.

However, you will have to act quickly if you want to take a photo of any of these foreign names in situ because the authorities have decided to ban the use of place names inspired by locations overseas, and have ordered the removal of the imported monikers by the end of June next year.

To curb the growing use of foreign names, Li Liguo, the minister for civil affairs, has ordered governments at all levels to standardize place names and protect long-standing geographical or historical names.