This table describes the contents of the file: "draft_china_feat_types.zip" which can be accessed from the CHGIS working papers downloads page.
The ZIP archive contains three files:
1) china_carto_feat_types.mdb (UTF-8)
2) draft_China_FT.txt (UTF-8)
3) README.txt
The files were produced as a basic resource for creating a multilingual geographic feature types list.
Feature Types are important elements in constructing historical gazetteers and geographical information databases. They should be distinguished from the "placename" or "given name" component of toponyms, although they might need to be included in the complete toponym in order for it to make sense.
Chinese language toponyms have special characteristics in this regard, for example, any single syllable placename must be combined with the feature type, as in Ming Xian (Ming County). See a fuller description of this issue in the paper: "Toponyms and Feature Classifications for the China Historical GIS" (PDF)
The sources for the draft feature types are the National Standard Tables 5791, 7929, 12319, 13923. There are 792 feature types in the resulting table.
Description of main table, "gb_5791_93"
| Field Name | Description |
| gbft_id | a unique id number assigned by CHGIS, (which will include feature types from more than one GB Table) |
| hz_name | Chinese Character name for the feature type as listed in GB/T 5791-93 |
| py_name | Name of the feature type, using pinyin romanization, as listed in GB/T 5791-93 |
| eng_name | Name of feature type, translated by CHGIS |
| src_pub | China National Standard publication from which this feature type is taken |
| src_id | ID number that relates to this type in the above-listed source. NOTE: in cases where a single type ID had more than one name listed, these were entered as separate and unique records in gb_5791_93. In some cases additional names were drawn from the explanatory material in GB/T 5791-93, and given unique records. |
Sources: