China to name seabed areas using ancient poetry

BEIJING - China will establish a naming system for seabed areas based on the country's oldest poetry collection, the country's State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said on Monday.

The China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA) proposed the naming system, according to the SOA, adding that the plan is aimed at promoting Chinese culture and showing the country's achievements in scientific study of the ocean.

The COMRA considered three naming systems based on the "Classic of Poetry," the classical novel "Romance of Three Kingdoms," and the names of Chinese emperors' reigns, before deciding to use the "Classic of Poetry" for the seabed naming scheme.

The "Classic of Poetry," also known as the "Book of Odes," is the oldest known collection of Chinese poetry. It dates from the 11th to 7th centuries BC, and has been studied and memorized by scholars in China and neighboring countries for over two millennia.

So far, a total of 19 proposals on seabed area names by China have been approved by the Sub-Committee on Undersea Feature Names of the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans.