Among Nanjing's many unique place names, "Luosi Zhuanwan" (螺丝转弯) is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing. Today, this alley, running from Shigu Road in the south to Hanzhong Road in the north, is actually quite straight. So, where does the "Turn" (转弯) in its name come from?
在南京众多独特的地名中，“螺丝转弯”无疑是颇为引人遐想的一个。如今，这条南起石鼓路、北至汉中路的小巷其实相当笔直。那么，这个“转弯”的名字究竟从何而来呢？
There are two main theories about its origin.
关于其起源，主要有两种说法。
One popular theory, stemming from the Qing Dynasty's Records of Shangyuan and Jiangning Counties, states that the alley was once "as winding as a ring" (路曲如环). This led to the belief that the alley was named "Luō-sī Zhuǎnwān" (螺蛳转弯, Snail's Turn) because its twisting path resembled a snail's shell.
一种广为流传的说法源于清代《同治上江两县志》的记载，书中称此巷曾“路曲如环”。因此，人们认为巷子因其回旋曲折、形似螺蛳壳而得名“螺蛳转弯”。
However, an earlier and more plausible explanation comes from the Ming Dynasty scholar Gu Qiyuan in his book Kezuo Zhuiyu. He verified that an ancient temple named "Luó Temple" (罗寺) once stood here. The alley was situated at a corner of the temple's wall, so its original name was "Luó-sì Zhuǎnwān" (罗寺转湾, Luó Temple's Corner).
然而，一个更早、也更可信的解释来自明代学者顾起元所著的《客座赘语》。他考证，此地曾有一座名为“罗寺”的古刹。小巷恰好位于寺庙的墙角转弯处，因此最初的地名是“罗寺转湾”（意为“罗寺”旁的转角）。
The official name of "Luó Temple" was Yanzuo Temple. During the Tang Dynasty, its abbot was the Chan Master Lingzhi, known as the "Rahula Monk" (罗睺和尚). Despite being blind, he was a master of the Buddhist scriptures. People took the character "Luó" (罗) from his title and colloquially called the temple "Luó Temple."
“罗寺”的本名是延祚寺。唐代时，寺中有一位双目失明但精通佛法的灵智禅师，号“罗睺和尚”，人们便取其“罗”字，将寺庙俗称为“罗寺”。
Although this ancient temple has long vanished into the annals of history, the place name "Luó Temple's Corner" endured. Over time, through word of mouth, it gradually evolved into the homophonic "Luósī Zhuǎnwān" (螺丝转弯, Screw's Turn) that we know today.
虽然这座古寺早已消失在历史长河中，但“罗寺转湾”这个地名却流传下来，在口耳相传中逐渐讹变成了今天我们所熟知的“螺丝转弯”。
