Chinese word

古城

Pronunciation

Pinyingǔ chéng

Meaning

  • nounold town

Example

节日期间，古城很热闹。jié rì qī jiān gǔ chéng hěn rè nào

During the holiday, the old town is lively.

Illustration for 古城 (old town)

More examples

我们周末去古城走走吧。wǒ men zhōu mò qù gǔ chéng zóu zǒu ba

Let's go for a walk in the old town this weekend.

Core concept

The older heart of a city, with its traditional streets and surviving heritage.

Common phrases

  • 去古城qù gǔ chéng

    go to the old town

  • 游览古城yóu lǎn gǔ chéng

    tour the old town

  • 在古城里zài gǔ chéng lǐ

    in the old town

Similar words

古镇gǔ zhèn: A small historic town with traditional buildings and local life still continuing.
老街lǎo jiē: An old, busy street lined with long-standing shops and homes.
古城区gǔ chéng qū: A historic area of a city where old buildings and streets are protected.

Definition in Chinese

指历史久远且街区风貌保留较多的旧城区，一般包含老街巷和文化遗产。zhǐ lì shǐ jiú yuǎn qiě jiē qū fēng mào bǎo liú jiào duō de jiù chéng qū yì bān bāo hán lǎo jiē xiàng hé wén huà yí chǎn

Word origin

古 (gǔ, "old") contributes the idea of age, while 城 (chéng, "city") identifies the place as an urban settlement, so the compound points to a historic city area.

Usage tips

  • When discussing sightseeing, this word often identifies an area to visit rather than the name of the whole present-day city.

Other meanings

  • ancient citynoun

Opposites

  • 新城xīn chéngnew townnoun
  • 新城区xīn chéng qūnew urban districtnoun

Related words

  • 古城区gǔ chéng qūold town districtnoun
  • 古城墙gǔ chéng qiángancient city wallnoun
  • 古城门gǔ chéng ménancient city gatenoun

Word lists with this word