How to Write 峒 (dòng) — Meaning “Dong (mountain valley / cave / ethnic minority area)”

Imagine a mountain (山) with a cave that has the same (同) shape as a tunnel. The mountain and the cave look alike, so you remember "mountain" plus "same" equals a mountain cave.

The left radical 山 should be written narrow and slightly shorter than the right side, with the middle vertical stroke upright. A common mistake is making the right component 同 too wide; keep its outer box narrow and place the inner mouth stroke evenly inside.

峒 uses 同 as its right part and refers to a valley or ethnic area, while 岈 has 牙 (tooth) and means a gap or crevice in a mountain. 岍 uses 开 (open) and is a place name in ancient China. Visually, the right-side components are completely different, so focus on the right radical to tell them apart.

峒 appears mostly in place names, such as 崆峒山 (a famous Taoist mountain in Gansu), and in historical or cultural terms like 峒主 (village chief). It is not used in everyday conversation, so you will mainly encounter it in geography, history, or literature about ethnic minority regions in southern China.

Common words containing 峒 include: 崆峒山 (kōng dòng shān) — Mount Kongtong; 山峒 (shān dòng) — Mountain cave; 峒主 (dòng zhǔ) — Chief of a mountain village or stronghold.