Talk about the origin of the word Zhonghua

About 5,000 years ago, when the Chinese nation began to form, its tribe was called "Hua". "Hua" begins with the name "Hua" of Shun, the last emperor of the Five Emperors era in Chinese history. After Shun established state power, people called the people "Hua" after Shun.

"Hua" has been passed down as a name for Chinese people. Even if they migrate overseas, it is customary to call Chinese people overseas Chinese. If you have other nationalities, you are also called foreign Chinese.

After the clan name "Hua" was formed, some dynasty names that left a deep impression on people in history were also circulated as nicknames for the Chinese, such as Qin people, Tang people, and even Khitan people became famous in the north. After spreading far and wide, it also became another name for the Chinese.

The term "Zhonghua" first appeared in Pei Songzhi's annotation "The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms: Zhuge Liang", and later officially appeared in the laws of the Tang Dynasty. In the fourth year of Yonghui in the Tang Dynasty (AD 653), the "Lü Shu" (later known as "Tang Lv Shu Yi") written by Changsun Wuji was published. The explanation of the word "Zhonghua" is as follows: "Zhonghua means China. I am taught by the king and belong to China. I wear dignified clothes, have filial piety and etiquette, and live in etiquette." This means that all administrative divisions and cultural systems are included. Everything that belongs to China is called China.

Extended information:

The origin of China:

Historian Mr. Yao Rongling believes that "China" originated from Yongji, and "Zhong" refers to the middle of the Taihang Mountains. Tiaoshan, "Hua" refers to the conclusion of Huashan in the Qinling Mountains. Precisely because the Stork Tower stands between Jin and Qin, with China in the west and Xia in the east, it is located exactly at the midpoint of the historical coordinates of China.

In his article "A Study of the Origins of Huaxia", Gu Shi believed that "the ancient characters Xu, Xuan, Ya and Xia are related, and Huaxia is Hua Xu. ... Hua Xu is specifically called Huaxia, so it is the name of our race. ". Zhang Taiyan said in "Explanation of the Republic of China": "Roughly speaking, in ancient my country, 'Xia' was the name of the clan and 'Hua' was the name of the country. It is also said that 'Xia' was named after the Xia River, and 'Hua' was named after the Huashan Mountain. "

Xu Xusheng believed in "The Legendary Era of Ancient Chinese History" that the divisions of ancient Chinese tribes can be roughly divided into three major groups: Huaxia, Dongyi, and Sanmiao. The Huaxia Group was located in the northwest of ancient China. It was mainly composed of the tribes represented by Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang. In this book, he also argued that the Qinling Mountains were commonly known as Huashan in ancient times and the ancient name of the Han River was once called Xiashui.

The "Ancient History Bian" school believes that " The ancient characters "Hua" and "Xia" are the same. "Hua" means "Xia" and "Xia" means "Hua".

Therefore, the word "Xia" in Huaxia is said by the Chinese. Like a dancer; the second is the theory of Dayu's flood control, the word "Xia" is like a farmer managing the border; the third is the totem clan emblem, the word "Xia" is like a cicada or reptile; the fourth is the theory of "Xia Shui", the clan name is taken from the name of the water, and Xia Shui is located in Yong. During the Liang Dynasty, the ancient Xia water naturally originated from the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains. According to the theory of the Five Kingdoms of Xia, there were Xia Kingdom first and Xia people later.

These understandings are close to the original meaning of "Huaxia". Original. Classics regard Emperor Huang and Emperor Yan as the beginning of Chinese civilization.

People's Daily Online - The origin of the name of the Chinese nation

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