Changshui

Changshui is a Chinese toponym that can refer to several places and facilities within China. The most prominent usage is Kunming Changshui International Airport, which serves Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Located in the Changshui area on the outskirts of the city, the airport opened in 2012, replacing the older Kunming Wujiaba Airport as Kunming’s main air hub. It handles domestic and international flights and functions as a major regional transportation facility.

In addition to the airport, the name Changshui appears in the names of other administrative units and geographic features. There are towns and townships named Changshui in various counties and prefectures, reflecting the common practice of using descriptive geographic terms in place naming. The exact status and boundaries of these Changshui localities vary by province.

Etymologically, Changshui is a compound name formed from common Chinese morphemes associated with water or water-related geography, though the precise characters and meanings can differ by locality. As a toponym, it is not unique to a single site and can refer to multiple places, which is why contextual information is often required to determine which Changshui is being discussed.

While the airport in Kunming is the best-known reference, Changshui’s use in other parts of China demonstrates how place names can recur across different administrative levels and regions.