Chinese take away the difficulty and rename British tourist attractions

Hard-to-pronounce British place names are getting a Mandarin makeover with sometimes surprising results, Britain’s tourism agency said on Monday as part of a campaign to encourage more Chinese tourists. VisitBritain released 101 new suggested names for famous landmarks provided by the Chinese public through online polling on social media. London’s iconic skyscraper “The Shard” could be “A tower allowing us to pluck stars from the sky” in Chinese, and Savile Row, well known for its high-end tailors, could become “Tall, rich, handsome street” or “Custom-made rich people street”.

Digital engagement is one of our strengths and this campaign has been hugely effective at driving this with our potential Chinese visitors.

Sally Balcombe, chief executive of VisitBritain

The proposed Mandarin name for the Scottish delicacy “haggis” is “Made of sheep’s stomach and smells good”, while Edinburgh’s Royal Mile avenue is: “A beautiful street with long history and profound culture”. Hadrian’s Wall, the ruin that marked the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, is the grand-sounding “Wall of Eternity” and the seaside resort of Blackpool could be “A place that is happy to visit”.

Odd News Chinese names