The first batch of cultural heritage place names in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, was recently published by the Nantong municipal bureau of civil affairs.

The 11 place names were selected from more than 40,000 names of places in the city, and six of the place names, including Haimen, Bencha, and Rugao, will apply for provincial recognition.

Each of the listed place names has their own unique historical stories. For example, the name "Rugao" (meaning "going to a waterside upland") comes from a story more than 2,700 years ago. An ugly man married a beautiful woman and to make his wife laugh, the man brought her to a waterside upland to shoot a pheasant, which amused his wife.

Tangzha ancient town in Chongchuan district. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Compared with other listed place names, the name "Tangzha" is relatively young as it only has a history of 538 years. However Tangzha town has significant historical and cultural value as it is one of the birthplaces of modern Chinese national industry and the place where Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a renowned industrial magnate in Nantong, carried out his efforts to save China through industry.

Other places with their names listed include Langshan town, whose Langshan Mountain is one of the eight Buddhist mountains of China, and Baipu, renowned for the longevity of its residents.