Gold Mountain (toponym) facts for kids
Gold Mountain (also known as Gam Saan or Gum Shan) is a special nickname. It was often used by Chinese people to talk about San Francisco, California. But it also meant a bigger area: the western parts of North America, including British Columbia, Canada.
This name became popular after gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1848. Thousands of Chinese people, especially from a place called Toisan in Guangdong, China, traveled across the ocean. They hoped to find gold and become rich during the exciting time known as the California Gold Rush.
Chinese people often called California and British Columbia "Gold Mountain." You can see this on old maps and in stories from Chinese people who traveled there. Later, when a gold rush happened in Australia, a place called Bendigo was named "New Gold Mountain" (新金山). Because of this, California then became known as Old Gold Mountain (旧金山). Today, "Old Gold Mountain" usually refers specifically to San Francisco.
The Story of Gold Mountain
The name "Gold Mountain" first referred to California. Ships full of hopeful immigrants arrived in San Francisco. Many of them were heading to the gold fields. Others stayed in San Francisco, helping to build the growing Chinese community.
Later in the 1800s, British Columbia also became known as "Gold Mountain." This happened after gold was found in the Fraser Canyon in 1857. Many Chinese people from San Francisco sailed north to British Columbia in June 1858. More Chinese settlers arrived later, some from California and some directly from China. They also called British Columbia "The Colonies of T'ang," which meant China. So, the term "Gold Mountain" grew to mean all of Western North America.
The gold seekers in British Columbia often first went to Victoria, on Vancouver Island. They would get supplies there before heading to the gold fields. Victoria was a very important city at that time.
New Gold Mountains Around the World
After the California Gold Rush, gold rushes also started in Australia in 1851. This led to Australia being called the 'New Gold Mountain' (新金山). Specifically, the city of Melbourne was often called this. Even Sydney got its own special name: 'Sydney Gold Mountain' (雪梨金山).
