Why is Sydney called ‘雪梨’ in Taiwan, while in the rest of the Chinese world it is ‘悉尼’? Which transliteration is older, and which one does the Australian government recognize as their largest city’s exonym?
If you’re a traveler to Taiwan and you mention that you’re from Sydney, don’t be surprised if the locals call it ‘Xue Li‘ or ‘雪梨.’ This is because in Taiwan, the city of Sydney is known by its older transliteration, which is 雪梨. However, in the rest of the Chinese-speaking world, including Mainland China, the city is known as ‘Xi Ni’ or ‘悉尼.’ So, why is there a difference in the transliteration of Sydney’s name? And which one does the Australian government recognize as their largest city’s exonym?
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The Origin of the Names
The name Sydney is derived from the British Home Secretary, Thomas Townshend, Lord Sydney, who was responsible for the colonization of Australia. The name was first used by Captain Arthur Phillip when he arrived in Sydney Cove in 1788. Since then, the name has become synonymous with Australia’s largest city.
The Chinese transliteration of Sydney’s name, however, has a more complicated history. The older transliteration, 雪梨, was first used in the Republic of China era, which lasted from 1912 to 1949. At that time, Taiwan was under the control of the Republic of China, and the name 雪梨 was used to refer to the city.
When the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, the Chinese government began to use a different transliteration for Sydney, which is 悉尼. The reason for this change was that the word 雪梨 also means “snow pear” in Chinese, which could cause confusion.
Which Transliteration is Older?
The older transliteration of Sydney’s name is 雪梨, which was first used in the Republic of China era. This means that the Taiwanese and Hong Kong Chinese communities still use the older transliteration to refer to the city. In contrast, the rest of the Chinese-speaking world, including Mainland China, uses the newer transliteration, 悉尼.
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