While trying to research several topics in Chinese history, I have been stymied by the place and people name differences between the older sources and the newer ones. The conventional system of transliteration is the Wade-Giles form which was developed in the mid-19th century. Back when I went to school, Wade-Giles was still used in texts for names of things Chinese. The newer, more phonetically correct Pinyin method came into use in the 1950s, though apparently it didn't reach my backwater until long after I had gone. Not only do older and newer sources differ, many web sources seem to use a combination of the two, or some hybrid of their own invention.

The following links are to resources I have found to help with my confusion. Perhaps they will be useful to some of you. It any of you have any better ones, please post them!

Chinese Conventional Place Names
Pinyin/Wade-Giles Names
Pinyin to Wade-Giles Conversion Table


I've also wondered how to pronounce my own name. Based on the following pronunciation guide, I think it may sound like Fay-ahn Jo. If I'm wrong, please let me know. It's always good to be able to say one's own name properly. *G*

A Short Course in the Pin-Yin Romanization Method