How to say "longing for Far East" in simplified Chinese?

[auroraborealis]

Hi all,

I would like to know how to express "longing for Far East" in Chinese. Google translate gives me 向往远东. When i search for 向往 separately, I also get a negative meaning of "feeling miserable". So I would like to know if this phrase has a negative connotation to it? Is it ok / positive to say 向往远东?

I would like it to have positive vibe ("i really miss Far East" / "I really hope to visit Far East again").

Thanks in advance.

[Jim]

I should say 怀念 or 思念 would better express cherished memory and longing. For Far East, I should think 东方 would do; was The East in "The East is Red" for example.

[Shelley]

I hope this is not for a tattoo, it would not be very attractive in simplified characters. Even in traditional characters I would not recommend this as a tattoo.

 

I think a beautiful flower, plum blossom or bamboo to remind you of China. Maybe a beautiful font in your own language the words - My heart is in China or whatever you like.

[abcdefg]

I would use 想念 if the context allows. "I lived in Shenyang for nearly 10 years, and now that I'm back in Peoria, I really miss it, really long for it. Would love to go back. Those were the days! 我真的好想念沈阳。(Substitute 东方 for 沈阳。)

 

8 hours ago, auroraborealis said:

I would like it to have positive vibe ("i really miss Far East" / "I really hope to visit Far East again").

 

Might work in your example. Of course, it's not the only way to express those sentiments. @Jim 怀念 appeals to me too. Both it and 想念 verge on being poetic, full of emotion and feeling. 

[Bibu]

忆东方，取自白居易的忆江南。

 

忆 is more of recall ,less meaning of longing for

 

fareast远东 in  mandarin sounds political, someting about imperialism and war, better avoid it.

[auroraborealis]

Thank you so much for all your help! There is an incredible amount of expertise here.

 

Don't worry, it is not for a tattoo! I am considering to write a blog in my native language about my passion for and journey with learning the Chinese language and getting to know the culture. As you can see, I'm still only a beginner. The name of the blog would have this meaning and I thought it would be nice to have the same phrase in Chinese as well.

 

This is exactly one of the reasons why I think Chinese is so fascinating. You can't just use Google Translate but you really need to have the background information and insights to capture the desired meaning.

 

[Mijin]

For Chinese <-> English translation, Baidu generally gives better results than Google, in my experience.

 

Using Baidu I got "渴望远东" but I can't say whether it's a better answer in this case because this is far too nuanced for my pay grade.

(and if "远东“ has military connotations then this translation of course shares that issue)