港

Phono-semantic compound:

水 (물 수) — semantic element, indicating water or river.

巷 (거리 항) — phonetic element, providing the sound hang and suggesting a “passage” or “lane.”

Together they convey the sense of “a waterway that leads inward like a lane or passage”, hence harbor or bay.

In early forms, 港 was written with the water radical and various phonetic shapes resembling 巷 and 𡑉, all evoking a narrow channel or inlet between shores.

항구 (港口) — port, harbor

홍항(紅港) — red harbor (literary)

항만 (港灣) — harbor area, port facilities

입항 (入港) / 출항 (出港) — entering or leaving port

港 is most commonly encountered in place names such as 홍콩(香港) - Hong Kong, and 부산항(釜山港) - Busan Port, or in administrative and trade contexts (e.g., 인천항(仁川港) - Incheon Port).

In ancient China, 港 referred primarily to natural inlets and sheltered river mouths where boats could rest from wind and waves.

The Erya (爾雅) glosses 港 as “水之曲也” — “a bend or curve of the water,” emphasizing calmness and enclosure.

By the Han dynasty, it extended to mean constructed harbors and trade centers, especially those near cities or markets.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, 港 became a key term in maritime trade, appearing in records such as 廣州港 (Guangzhou Port) and 泉州港 (Quanzhou Port), both gateways for foreign commerce.

Cultural & symbolic notes:

港 stands as a symbol of connection, openness, and exchange.

In East Asian poetry and painting, the harbor scene — ships anchored at dusk, lights reflecting on still water — represents both arrival and departure, reunion and parting.

In Confucian metaphors, a well-governed state is sometimes likened to a safe harbor (安港) where people find peace.

In Buddhist imagery, “the harbor of enlightenment (涅槃之港)” symbolizes the final refuge reached after crossing the turbulent sea of suffering.

Art & architecture:

In East Asian cartography and maritime art, 港 is a key motif:

항만도 (港灣圖) — detailed harbor maps of the Joseon and Qing dynasties depicted 港 as stylized bays with anchored ships and market stalls.

港口비 (Harbor Stelae) — stone inscriptions recorded port regulations, tax systems, and imperial edicts protecting maritime traders.

홍콩(香港) itself preserves the ancient sense: “Fragrant Harbor”, named for the sandalwood and incense once shipped from its bay — a living testament to the enduring meaning of 港.

Symbolic interpretation:

港 represents a meeting of movement and stillness, trade and tranquility.

It embodies humanity’s urge to venture outward yet also to find safe return.

“水有港而舟安，世有人而心安.”

— “When water has a harbor, ships rest; when life has companions, the heart rests.”