China to Ban 'Bizarre' Names for Residential Compounds

By Justine Lopez

You may have noticed that many of Beijing’s residential compounds have rather, well, un-Chinese names. The capital is home to apartments and expat-oriented complexes that boast the same names as iconic foreign cities and sites. There’s a Palm Springs, a Park Avenue and a Beijing Yosemite. There’s even a Beijing Riviera. Wait, is this really China?

Well, it looks like names like this are now going to be a thing of the past. It was announced Tuesday that China will start doing away with names that sound too foreign and “bizarre,” Reuters reports.

According to Minister Li Liguo, the names that will be the most discouraged are those that oppose China’s social and moral philosophies.

"Certain types of names will be targeted, including names that damage sovereignty and national dignity, names that violate the socialist core values and conventional morality and names that induce the most public complaints," Xinhua news agency paraphrased Li as saying.

It appears that the names of buildings, apartment complexes, roads and bridges in Beijing will all be put under closer scrutiny from now on. Let's see what they come up with next.

[Image via Carroll County Times]

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