Jiangnan
/tɕjɑ́ŋ.nǎn/noun
A historic region of China south of the lower Yangtze River, especially associated with the Yangtze Delta and its prosperous cultural centers.
Did you know?Jiangnan was not a single ancient kingdom but a shifting cultural-geographic idea whose landscapes became legendary in Chinese poetry, painting, gardens, and literati culture.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
江 *kˤroŋ; 南 *nˤəm
“River; south”
Han dynasty, 206 BCE–220 CE
Classical Chinese
江南
“The lands south of the Yangtze River”
Middle Chinese, 6th–10th centuries
Middle Chinese
江南
“A region understood geographically as south of the major river”
Medieval China, 10th–13th centuries
Chinese
江南
“A wealthy, culturally prominent region of southeastern China”
Modern Mandarin
Mandarin
jiāngnán
“Jiangnan; the historic region south of the lower Yangtze”