#暑期创作大赛#
Since the founding of New China, the mainland has divided the domestic ethnic groups into 56, except for the Han nationality, which accounts for the overwhelming majority of the population, other ethnic groups are called ethnic minorities, and the title "Han nationality" actually began in the Han Dynasty. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, the name of the Han people continued to be used for more than 2,000 years. So, before the Han Dynasty, how did our ancestors claim to be themselves?
The answer is: Huaxia. These two words are not only full of historical precipitation, but also contain a super domineering confidence. In the three great eras of Xia, Shang and Zhou before the Han Dynasty, people living in the Central Plains called themselves "Huaxia".
The title "Huaxia" was first recorded in the Book of Shang, which described "Chinese barbarians, ignorant and unruly", which means that both the Chinese nation in the Central Plains and the barbarian tribes in the four directions must be loyal to the Son of Heaven of the Zhou Dynasty.
Here, we can see that the so-called "Huayi debate" has emerged at that time, and there is also a relatively clear concept of "Huaxia nationality". So, what is the origin of the name "Huaxia"? According to legend, Yu's son Qi, the founder of the Xia Dynasty, founded China's first slave dynasty, the Xia Dynasty.
Therefore, the Xia Dynasty people at that time formed a vague concept of "Xia people", also known as "Hua people" or "Hua people". From the etymological point of view, it is mentioned in the "Shuowen Jie Zi" that the character "hua" originally meant "flower".
In the Oracle period, the character "hua" resembled a blooming flower, and later gradually evolved to simplify it to "hua". Flowers are usually vibrant and dazzling, and the ancients believed that flowers are the essence of trees, so "hua" also has the meaning of radiance and essence.
The original meaning of the character "Xia" refers to "a strong and heroic person", and its oracle bone form is a figure with open hands and a very brave look. Therefore, the word "Huaxia" means "brilliant and great person". Confucius once believed that "Xia" and "Hua" were synonymous and that the two could be used interchangeably. Therefore, the Central Plains region is called "Zhonghua" or "Zhongxia".
The Central Plains region was called both "Zhonghua" and "Zhongxia", and in the Spring and Autumn Period, it was directly merged into "Huaxia", becoming the unified self-proclaimed name of the Central Plains ethnic groups. These two words are puns, which not only represent the brightness and integrity, but also show strong national self-confidence.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, the two characters were even directly merged and collectively referred to as "Huaxia". Looking back at history, we can see that although the name "Han nationality" has been used for more than two thousand years, before that, our ancestors already had their own proud title - Huaxia.
After the Han Dynasty, this ethnic group was officially called the "Han Chinese", and its origins can be traced back to ancient China. The cultural genes carried by the word "Huaxia" are integrated into the blood of the Han nationality and become the root and soul of the Han people. Today, "Huaxia" has become synonymous and another name for the Chinese nation, leading descendants at home and abroad to watch over the same spiritual homeland.
The two words "Huaxia" not only represent a nation, but also represent a civilization, a history and a tradition. Today, when we mention "Huaxia", we are not only recalling history, but also being proud of our culture, traditions and history.