How to Write 陇 (lǒng) — Meaning “short name for Gansu province / ridge”

Picture a dragon (龙) climbing over a hill (阝) in Gansu province — the dragon represents the sound 'lǒng' and the hill represents the ridge meaning. This image helps you recall both the pronunciation and the connection to geography.

Start with the left ear radical (阝): write the horizontal hook first, then the vertical stroke, and finally the upward stroke. The right side 龙 has 5 strokes: first the horizontal, then a left-falling stroke, a hook, a left-falling stroke from the center, and a final dot. Keep the right side slightly wider than the left to balance the character.

陇 (lǒng) uses 龙 (dragon) on the right, while 邗 (hán) uses 干 (shield) and 邘 (yú) uses 于 (at). Visually, the right sides are distinct: 陇 has a more complex dragon shape, whereas 邗 and 邘 have simpler structures. In meaning, 陇 refers to Gansu or a ridge, while 邗 and 邘 are ancient place names with no modern common usage.

陇 is primarily used as a short name for Gansu province, appearing in place names like 陇西 (Longxi) and railway names like 陇海线 (Longhai Railway). It is also used in literary or historical contexts to refer to the region, and in the word 陇原 (Longyuan) to describe the Gansu area.

Common words containing 陇 include: 陇原 (lǒng yuán) — Longyuan (Gansu region); 陇海线 (lǒng hǎi xiàn) — Longhai Railway; 陇西 (lǒng xī) — Longxi (a place in Gansu).