白山黑水

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Chinese

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

Etymology

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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

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Idiom

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白山黑水

  1. (figurative) Northeast China