spring (small stream) / mouth of a spring / coin (archaic)
泉
=
水
+
白
:
Cupid (qu) opened a hot spring (泉) in the anthill's kitchen (an2) by connecting a water fountain (水) with the anthill's heating system. To mark his hot spring as a place of peace he set up a white flag (白) at the side of the spring.
prefecture / (old) province / (old) administrative division / state (e.g. of US) / oblast (Russia) / canton (Switzerland)
州
=
丶
+
丷
+
川
:
Mnemonic symbol: the red cotton tree, as it is the official flower of 广州 (Guangzhou). A new river (川) formed spontaneously in front of the outhouse (ou1), and James II of England (zh) was barely able to climb on a red cotton tree (州). Other animals are happy about this development: a mean crocodile (丷) is floating on a petal leaf (丶) towards the red cotton tree.