How to Write 岽 (dōng) — Meaning “Dong (used in place names in Guangxi)”

Imagine the sun rising in the east (东) behind a mountain (山), creating the place name Dong. This visual of a mountain and the east direction can help you recall that 岽 sounds like dōng and refers to locations in Guangxi.

Write the mountain radical (山) first, with the middle stroke shorter than the sides. Then write 东 below, making sure the horizontal stroke in 东 extends slightly to the right to balance the character. A common mistake is making 东 too narrow, so keep it wide enough to support the mountain above.

岽 (dōng) is used only in place names in Guangxi, while 屹 (yì) means 'towering' or 'standing tall' and 屺 (qǐ) means 'a mountain without grass'. Visually, 岽 has 东 under the mountain, 屹 has 乞, and 屺 has 己 — pay attention to the different lower components.

岽 is a rare character found only in specific place names in Guangxi, such as 岽罗 (Dōngluó) and 岽王 (Dōngwáng). You will not encounter it in daily conversation or writing; it is mostly seen on maps or in local geographical references. It has no other common uses or cultural notes beyond these place names.

Common words containing 岽 include: 岽罗 (dōng luó) — Dongluo (a place name); 岽王 (dōng wáng) — Dongwang (a place name); 岽那 (dōng nà) — Dongna (a place name).