Name-dropping is the order of the day

People take photos in the Florentia Village outlet in Tianjin. The shopping center was built to reflect the style of the Renaissance. Photos Provided to China Daily

The government is moving to outlaw 'exotic' names given to places, commercial buildings and residential compounds in a bid to protect and reaffirm traditional Chinese values. Zhang Yi reports.

Would you like to start your day with coffee and croissants in Provence, before heading to Venice to grab a pizza for lunch and following it up with a trip to Manhattan to take in a show?

If the answer is "yes", you can achieve all three ambitions by taking an "international tour" of Zhengzhou, the capital of Central China's Henan province.

"Provence" and "Venice" are modern residential buildings in the city, while "Manhattan" is a commercial square, which includes a financial center and a medical facility, built about 10 years ago and named after the famous New York borough.

However, you will have to act quickly if you want to take a photo of any of these foreign names in situ because the authorities have decided to ban the use of place names inspired by locations overseas, and have ordered the removal of the imported monikers by the end of June next year.

To curb the growing use of foreign names, Li Liguo, the minister for civil affairs, has ordered governments at all levels to standardize place names and protect long-standing geographical or historical names.