The Origin and Changes of China The word "China" first appeared in The Book of Songs of the Zhou Dynasty, such as "elegance and people's labor" and "benefiting China". But the "China" in The Book of Songs is actually a "capital city", not a real country. The word "China", referring to the country, has been very common in the books of various schools of thought in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period. For example, Mencius on Teng Wengong said: "Chen Liang originated from the way of Duke Zhong Ni of Zhou, and learned from China in the north", "The way of animal hoof and bird trail was handed over to China"; "Zhuangzi Tian Zifang": "A gentleman in China knows the meaning of his etiquette, but he knows the inferiority of his heart" ... All these show that the so-called "China" in ancient times refers to the "Central Plains" of later generations. However, the area is not as wide as that of the Central Plains in later generations, and it is only equivalent to most of Henan, southwestern Shaanxi and southwestern Shanxi in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River today. The word "China" is frequently used, mainly after the week. There is a cloud in the Book of Rites: "China, the people of all five parties, has sex ... China, barbarians, barbarians, Rong and Di all have peace." Obviously, the word "China" at this time is used to oppose barbarians, barbarians, Rong and De. If the Book of Rites was written later, Zuo Zhuan's Thirty-one Years of Zhuang Gong said, "All the vassals who contributed to the Siyi should be dedicated to the king, and the king should be alert to foreigners. China is not ",which shows that in the early Spring and Autumn Period, the word" China "has been compared with barbarians, barbarians, Rong and Di. Qi Huangong's aid to Guo Xing, Guo Wei and other countries is called "saving China", which shows that "China" at this time has expanded to countries considered as "summer". "Gongcheng Fifteen Years Ram Biography" has: "In the Spring and Autumn Period, the country was in the outer summer, and the inner summer was in the outer summer. If the king wants to rule the world, it is easy to be a foreign word, and the near word also rises. Xia and Shang Dynasties should be the formation period of the Chinese nation; The formation of "Zhou Li" combining China's institutional culture and spiritual culture is the symbol of the final formation of the Chinese nation. Throughout the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Spring and Autumn Period, countries were constantly divided, some entered Huaxia Group, and some entered Manchu, Yi and Rong Groups. A country like Guo, once vacillating between Yi and Xia, finally entered Huaxia Group and became a part of "Zhu Xia".
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