An aerial view of Rugao. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The names of seven places in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, namely Haimen, Rugao, Langshan town, Bencha, Baipu, Juegang, and Qingdun, were recently listed among the first batch of provincial culture heritage place names.

"Some place names are a reflection of a regional culture, and many place names in Nantong showcase the city's unique natural environment," said Guan Liang from the Nantong municipal bureau of civil affairs.

The logo of Baipu town and an aerial view of the ancient town. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

For example, located near the Yangtze River and the Huanghai Sea, Baipu town features large amounts of marshes, rivers, and ponds, around which sweet sedge is grown. Because the grass turns white after being air dried, sweet sedge is also called baipu (meaning white sweet sedge), and the town came to be known as Baipu town.

An aerial view of Qingdun village. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

According to Guan, Nantong natives like to base their place names on local history, culture, and folk customs. There are many place names in the city that include the Chinese word "灶" (meaning stove in English), which is related to burning salt, as there were many saltworks in these places in ancient times.

"Qingdun" is the only name of an ancient village on the provincial list. Qingdun village is home to the Qingdun Ruins, a well-preserved site from the Neolithic Age－defined in China as between 10,000 to 4,000 years ago.