How to Write 邕 (yōng) — Meaning “Yong (abbreviation for Nanning)”

Imagine a river (巛) flowing into a walled city (邑). The river wraps around the city, forming the name "Yong" — think of "Yong" as the sound of water moving past the city walls.

Write the top part 巛 first (three strokes: left-falling, right-falling, and a horizontal bend), then add the bottom 邑 (7 strokes). A common mistake is making the top too wide; keep the river portion narrow so the city below is balanced.

邕 (yōng) has a river (巛) above a city (邑), while 鄋 (sōu) has a different top component (叟, meaning old man) above 邑. Visually, 邕's top is three wavy lines, whereas 鄋's top is a square with a cross inside. They are unrelated in meaning and rarely confused.

邕 is primarily used as an abbreviation for Nanning, the capital of Guangxi province. You will see it in names like 邕江 (Yong River), 邕剧 (Yong Opera, a local opera style), and 邕城 (another name for Nanning). It is not used as a common word outside this regional context.

Common words containing 邕 include: 邕江 (yōng jiāng) — Yong River; 邕剧 (yōng jù) — Yong Opera; 邕城 (yōng chéng) — Yong City (another name for Nanning).