Where is the 'Tong' license plate from?
4 Answers
There is no license plate in China with the abbreviation 'Tong'. This is a fictional license plate identifier created for TV dramas or movies. In the TV series 'The Golden Eyes', 'Tong' is used as the license plate identifier. More information about license plates is as follows: 1. License plates are used for numbering and information registration of vehicles. The main function of a license plate is to identify the region to which the vehicle belongs, and the owner and registration information of the vehicle can also be traced based on the license plate. 2. The first character of a license plate is a Chinese character, representing the provincial-level administrative region where the vehicle is registered, which is the abbreviation of the (province, municipality directly under the central government, or autonomous region). The second character is an English letter, representing the prefecture-level administrative region where the vehicle is registered, which is the letter code for the (prefecture-level city, region, autonomous prefecture, or league).
Do you know where license plates starting with 'Qiong' are from? It's actually the abbreviation for Hainan Province. In China, each province has a unique Chinese character as the prefix for license plates, such as 'Jing' for Beijing and 'Hu' for Shanghai, while 'Qiong' specifically represents Hainan. This system comes from national standards, mainly to help people quickly identify the origin of vehicles. Hainan has a unique geographical location as an island province, so the character 'Qiong' is used on license plates to highlight its local characteristics. When I encounter vehicles with 'Qiong' plates while driving, I often recall its city divisions: 'Qiong A' is Haikou, 'Qiong B' is Sanya, and so on. This design is not only practical but also adds some fun to road trips. If you ever see a blurry license plate, it's recommended to check official apps or materials to confirm and avoid misunderstandings. Hainan license plates are quite common, especially on coastal city roads.
Speaking of the 'Qiong' license plate, I remember it represents Hainan Province, and its history can be traced back quite far. After the license plate system reform in the 1980s, the abbreviations were standardized. When Hainan became a province in 1988, it chose the character 'Qiong,' derived from the ancient name 'Qiong Island.' Back then, I often saw new drivers confused on the road, but it's actually quite simple: the first Chinese character on the license plate identifies the province, like 'Lu' for Shandong or 'Liao' for Liaoning. Hainan's license plates range from Qiong A to Z, corresponding to various cities and counties, making management more standardized. Having driven for decades myself, I feel that license plates aren't just numbers—they carry regional culture too. Other provinces' plates also have stories, like 'Meng' for Inner Mongolia, taken from the abbreviation for the Mongolian ethnic group. Understanding this makes driving and traveling much easier.
As an ordinary car owner, I once spotted a Qiong D license plate during a trip and later found out it was from a remote town in Hainan Province. That experience taught me that 'Qiong' represents the entire Hainan. The first Chinese character on license plates usually indicates the province where the vehicle is registered. Hainan uses the character 'Qiong,' for example, Qiong C might be from Wenchang. Now whenever I encounter a Qiong plate, it reminds me of Hainan's beach scenery, which is quite interesting. In daily driving, such knowledge helps me avoid peak traffic locations.
