At the beginning of Chinese civilization, the place names of "Tianxia" and "Heluo" specifically referred to Luoyang area, which became the hinterland of the Central Plains due to the establishment of Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the prosperity of Heluo culture. In the pre-Qin period, Luoyi (now Luoyang) was said to be the center of the world. As the Huaxia people moved to the surrounding areas, their activities expanded. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the concept of the Central Plains was extended to the vassal states of China, corresponding to remote areas such as Qin and Wu. Since the Qin Dynasty, the meaning of the word Central Plains has been further expanded, which can refer to the vast areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, including Henan, Shaanxi Guanzhong, Shanxi and southern Hebei, western Shandong, northwestern Jiangsu and northern Anhui.
The Central Plains, which originally meant "Yuan Ye under heaven", is the birthplace of Chinese civilization and Chinese civilization, the cradle of the Chinese nation and regarded as the center of the world. With the great integration of the Chinese nation and the expansion of the Central Plains civilization, the Central Plains region gradually spread outward, expanding the communication between the Han nationality and all ethnic groups with the Central Plains culture as the core. The reason why the Chinese nation with relatively advanced culture is called China is because it is different from overflowing.
The Central Plains is the region with the largest number of dynasties, the longest history and the largest number of ancient capitals in China, including Xia, Shang, Western Zhou, Eastern Zhou, Xuanhan, Eastern Han, Cao Wei, Western Jin, Northern Wei, Hou Zhao, Yan Qian, Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, Wu Zhou, Hou Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin and Later Liang. Among the eight ancient capitals of China with historical records or archaeological evidence, the Central Plains accounts for four, namely, Luoyang in the 13th Dynasty, Kaifeng in the 8th Dynasty, Anyang in the 7th Dynasty, Zhengzhou in the Xia Dynasty, and Shangqiu, Nanyang, Puyang, Xuchang, Dengfeng, Xiayi, Yanshi, Yucheng, Huaiyang and Xinzheng.
one's original intention
The word Zhongyuan first appeared in The Book of Songs. For example, "Xiao Yanan visited Shi Jiayu Ji Day": "Where the paint falls, the place where the son of heaven lives. Looking at the Central Plains, its pores have been "; Xiao Ya explained that Nanshan governs Xiaowan: "There are cymbals in the Central Plains, and Shu Ren adopts them"; The Book of Songs Xiaoya Jiri says, "Looking at the Central Plains, there is uniformity and holes". These are the earliest origins of the word "Central Plains", but they did not form a complete and unified regional concept, including the meanings of "Yuan Ye" and "Central Plains".
finalize the design
The poem "Selected Works of Xie Lingyun": "The chaos in the Central Plains has been solved." Shan Li's Note: "The Central Plains is also called Luoyang."
Biography of Li Gang in the History of Song Dynasty: "Since ancient times, the Lord of Zhongxing started in the northwest, and according to the Central Plains, it is enough to have the southeast". The meaning of the word Central Plains is further expanded, which can refer to a large area in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.
Lu You in Song Dynasty: "Julian Waghann set the Central Plains Day in the north, don't forget to tell Nai Weng about the family sacrifice." As a famous sentence handed down from ancient times, it contains the complex that people in the Southern Song Dynasty never forget the Central Plains, which can be compared with people in the Six Dynasties.
Zhao Ming Zhenyuan's Sacrifice to Lieutenant Yuan Shiyuan for Gong Li: "When the public heard about the change of the country, they were angry and exhausted the Central Plains, so that they could live together and return to Jinling." "Central Plains" refers to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.
Zhonghua Book Company photocopied 1936 version of Cihai to explain the word "Central Plains": "Henan and its nearby areas were called Central Plains in ancient times, and some people also called the lower reaches of the Yellow River Central Plains in the Eastern Jin and Southern Song Dynasties."
Commemorative edition of Etymology published by the Commercial Press in 2009 (two volumes): "The narrow sense of the Central Plains refers to the present Henan area. The Central Plains in a broad sense refers to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, mainly Henan Province.
Geographical scope
The north, west and south of the Central Plains are surrounded by Taihang Mountain, Funiu Mountain, Xiong 'er Mountain, Waifangshan Mountain, Tongbai Mountain and Dabie Mountain, and the middle and east are endless North China Plain. The Yellow River, known as the cradle of the Chinese nation, flows through the territory from west to east. The mainstream of Huaihe River system and Haihe River system and Danjiang River, a tributary of Yangtze River system, also flow here. The Central Plains has been a throat area since ancient times and is regarded as "the hub of China and the world".