Xiang River
The name "Xiaoxiang" comes in part from the name of the Xiang River, which rises in the mountains of Guangxi and flows into Dongting Lake. There is a modern Xiao River, which is a tributary of the Xiang River, and joins it near present-day cities of Yongzhou and Changsha; however, the name "Xiaoxiang" predates the bestowing of that name on the Xiao River: originally the adjective "xiao", meaning "clear and deep", was used to descriptively for the Xiang River.