Nanyang (region)

Nanyang
The states to the south of China around the South China Sea are regarded as part of Nanyang
Chinese	南洋
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin nán yáng Wade–Giles nan2 yang2 IPA /na̠n˧˥ i̯ɑŋ˧˥/ Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ Nàm-yòng Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization nàahm yéung, nàahm yèuhng Jyutping naam4 joeng4-2, naam4 joeng4 Canton Romanization nam4 yêng2, nam4 yêng4 IPA /nɑːm˨˩ jœːŋ˨˩⁻˧˥/, /nɑːm˨˩ jœːŋ˨˩/ Southern Min Hokkien POJ Lâm-iûⁿ, Lâm-iôⁿ Tâi-lô Lâm-iûnn, Lâm-iônn Middle Chinese Middle Chinese /nʌm/ /jɨɐŋ/ Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) /*nˤ[ə]m/ /*ɢ(r)aŋ/ Zhengzhang /*nuːm/ /*laŋ/

Nanyang (Chinese: 南洋; pinyin: nán yáng; lit. 'Southern Ocean') is the Chinese term for the warmer and fertile geographical region along the southern coastal regions of China and beyond, otherwise known as the 'South Sea' or Southeast Asia.^[1] The term came into common usage in self-reference to the large ethnic Chinese migrant population in Southeast Asia, and is contrasted with Xiyang (Chinese: 西洋; pinyin: xī yáng; lit. 'Western Ocean'), which refers to the Western world, Dongyang (simplified Chinese: 东洋; traditional Chinese: 東洋; pinyin: dōng yáng; lit. 'Eastern Ocean'), which refers to Japan. The Chinese press regularly uses the term to refer to the region stretching from Yunnan Province to Singapore (north to south) and from Myanmar (Burma) to Vietnam (west to east); in addition, the term also refers to Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines in the region it encompasses.^[1]

The alternative term, "Great Golden Peninsula", came into common usage due to the large number of Chinese migrants – attempting to escape the reach of the oppressive Manchu Emperors – it received.^[2] The Chinese, especially those from the southeastern seaboard, also ventured to the region to engage in trade. The Nanyang was extremely important in the trading business and one of China's main trading partners in early years; it encompassed three main trading routes: one through Myanmar (Burma), one through Vietnam and lastly one through Laos.^[1]