Signese

Re Q4. I find such street names adorable. I used to think it was a Japanese thing (there are so many such streets in Kyoto - Nijo, Sanjo, Nanajo, 1 to 10, but not as extreme as 44) until I came across these street names in Beijing.

1) 羊絨 clothing. Is that cashmere? MDBG gives only 山羊絨 as cashmere. [Had to look up 絨, don't remember seeing it before.]

2) not sure. The upper left two characters are, of course 上海, but last time I was there I didn't see a whole lot of sheep there.

3) Factory Direct Prices!!!! [Had to look up 厂 as well. I didn't recognize the simplified form of 廠.

@skylee, if you like numbered streets, you'll love the mid-west! We have no originality here, so we just go by numbers. A couple miles from my house is a sign for "530th street". Really.

but not as extreme as 44) until I came across these street names in Beijing.

It's not 44.

东四 is a region name, 十四条 is the street name.

Have no idea why it's called 东四. There are 东单、西单、东四、西四.

Edit: now I found the answer online: 外地人不懂为什么叫“四”，其实是四座“牌楼”，就是四个坐标，每个牌楼之间从南向北排小街。如“东单三条”，就是从“东单牌楼”往北走第三个小街。

It's not just 外地人 who don't know. I didn't know either.

I see. Thanks.

I've noticed that in Beijing there are subway stations called 西四 and 東四十條, but was not able to tell that there are rules. Similarly in Kyoto there are place names like 烏丸七条 which means the area around the intersection of 烏丸通and 七条通, and 烏丸七条下ル means south of the intersection of 烏丸通and 七条通.

I didn't know why it was called 东四, but this has an explanation - there used to be a crossroads surrounded by four 牌楼s, hence 东四牌楼 and then 东四. There's also a 西四 north of 西单 (hmmm, 单 what, I now wonder).