白山黑水

Chinese

Changbai Mountain Heilong Jiang
simp. and trad.
(白山黑水)
白山 黑水

Etymology

白山 (Báishān, literally “white mountains”) refers to 長白山长白山 (Chángbáishān, “Changbai Mountain”), while 黑水 (Hēishuǐ, literally “black waters”) refers to the Songhua (Sungari) River, historically referred to as 混同江. First attested in the History of Jin:

生女直混同江、長白山,混同江黑龍江所謂白山黑水是也 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
生女直混同江、长白山,混同江黑龙江所谓白山黑水是也 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
From: 1344 CE, Toqto'a (lead editor), History of Jin
Shēngnǚzhí dì yǒu Hùntóngjiāng, Chángbáishān, Hùntóngjiāng yì hào Hēilóngjiāng, suǒwèi “báishān, hēishuǐ” shìyě. [Pinyin]
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Pronunciation


Idiom

白山黑水

  1. (figurative) Northeast China