Huawei's Android rival Hongmeng takes its name from Chinese mythology
From cookbooks to zoos, here’s how Chinese tech companies choose their names
Although the name Hongmeng might not mean much to non-Chinese speakers, it has attracted attention in China. Unlike the seemingly random names from Western tech companies, Chinese tech companies draw heavily from local tradition -- although some have chosen to pick names out of cookbooks or the zoo.
Hongmeng OS is named after a character from Chinese mythology that symbolizes primordial chaos, the world before creation. For some, the word has a special meaning: Breaking free of the chaos and starting something new from scratch.
Huawei seems to have registered all its products under the names of mythical beasts and places from Chinese legends. Huawei's Kirin mobile chip got its name after a mythical lucky monster called Qilin. The company’s server chip is called Kunpeng, a giant bird that transforms from a fish. And Huawei’s servers are named Taishan after Mt. Tai, a mountain that has been a place of religious worship for around three millennia.
Sticking to Chinese tradition makes sense for Huawei, which is sometimes described as a bastion of traditional, hard-working tech-bro types.