Hundred Rivers Returning to the Sea - On the Unification of Chinese Civilization, the System of Diversification and Integration | Chinese Civilization | Unification

Author: Wang Wei

This is the first complete expression of the characteristics of Chinese civilization, and a scientific summary of the more than 5000 years of Chinese civilization process and historical experience. One of the goals of the 20-year "Exploring the Origins of Chinese Civilization Project" is to study the formation process of the diversified and integrated pattern of Chinese civilization centered and led by the Central Plains region, which is to study the origin and development of the unity of Chinese civilization. Throughout the historical process of Chinese civilization, although there have been division, integration, and twists and turns in the process, the unity of the country has always been the mainline of development, moving from diversity to unity. This trend was not formed after the unification of China by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Thousands of years ago, various regions had already had exchanges, learned from each other, and developed together. Integration has a deep and solid foundation and a long-standing origin.

1. The prehistoric foundation of the unity of Chinese civilization

1. Exchange between various regions on the Chinese continent from 10000 to 7000 years ago

9000 years ago, the cultivation techniques of rice that appeared in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River about 10000 years ago were absorbed by prehistoric ancestors in the Huai River Basin. The Jiahu settlement site in Wuyang, Henan Province unearthed agricultural handicraft production tools made of carbonized rice, stone, and bone. The millet and millet cultivation techniques invented 10000 years ago in the North China region have also spread to the surrounding areas. Afterwards, agriculture gradually developed, the population gradually increased, people's spiritual lives became increasingly rich, their ability to engage in activities became stronger, and communication between different regions became increasingly active.

The Xinglongwa culture, which was distributed in the western region of Northeast China more than 8000 years ago, has been able to create more exquisite combinations of jade and stone decorations - jade rings and bar shaped jade pendants. It is worth noting that similar combinations of jade rings and pendants can also be seen in the later Hemudu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The appearance of jade rings with the same shape and their combination with jade pendants in the north and south of China respectively reflects the exchange of prehistoric cultures in different regions. In the Xinglongwa culture, there are decorations with clam shells strung together from the Yellow Sea area, indicating the existence of communication between people in inland and coastal areas. The exchange of prehistoric cultures seven to eight thousand years ago can be seen more clearly in pottery. In the prehistoric culture dating back 8000 years in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, pottery from the Jiahu culture in the upper reaches of the Huai River and the cross lake bridge culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River can be seen.

A canoe dating back over 8000 years with a remaining length of 5.8 meters was unearthed at the Xiaoshan Cross Lake Bridge Site in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in Zhejiang Province, indicating that people at that time had the ability to navigate over long distances and expanded the scope of communication.

2. The strengthening of cultural convergence on the land of China from 6000 to 4000 years ago

Over 6000 years ago, the belief in dragons emerged in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. In a Yangshao culture tomb discovered at the Xishuipo Site in Puyang, Henan Province, the images of dragons and tigers were piled up on both sides of the bones with clam shells. Surprisingly, the orientation of the Four Gods of the Han Dynasty was consistent with that of the Middle East Blue Dragon and the West White Tiger, indicating that the Four Gods had a long prehistoric origin. In the Hongshan Culture in the Liaohe River Basin and the Lingjiatan Culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River dating back 5500-5300 years ago, jade dragons with a C-shaped body were unearthed, as well as identical jade turtles and jade figures with the same posture. Not only does it indicate that the concept of dragons has been widely spread from the north to the western northeast and south to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but it also suggests that there is communication between the upper echelons of society in the south and north. In the Xia and Shang dynasties, the image of dragons widely appeared in the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Liaohe River basins. Nearly ten types of dragon images can be seen in the Sanxingdui culture, which is a clear evidence.

6000 years ago, during the middle period of the Yangshao culture in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the painted pottery patterns featuring flowers and birds gradually expanded to the surrounding areas. Around 5500 years ago, it reached the entire Yellow River Basin and the northern region of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. By about 5300 years ago, the distribution of such painted pottery patterns reached the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the south, the north of the North China Plain and the Xiliao River basin in the Yanshan Mountains in the north, the Gansu Qinghai region in the west, and the lower reaches of the Yellow River in the east. For the first time, there was a strong influence of the culture of the Central Plains on the surrounding areas. This phenomenon is very likely a reflection of the rise of the Yellow Emperor Yandi Group and the expansion of its influence. Some scholars also called this phenomenon the formation of "the original China".

Around 5500-5000 years ago, the civilization process in various regions entered a new stage. At this stage, large-scale central settlements emerged in various regions, with exquisite and large-scale high-grade buildings and large tombs with abundant burial items. In high-level tombs in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, and the Liaohe River basin, exquisite jade artifacts are produced along with the burial. Moreover, these jade artifacts are different from those that were mostly used as decorations 6000 years ago. The appearance of jade stone axes and animal images such as dragons, turtles, and birds indicates that these jade artifacts were closely related to people's beliefs at that time and became tools for communicating and worshipping gods. As they are all in the tombs of influential figures, it indicates that these jade artifacts also have the function of displaying the noble identity of the holders.

During the Yao and Shun dynasties from 4300 to 4100 AD, power groups in the Central Plains region emerged. The large city site of 2.8 million square meters discovered at the Taosi Site in Xiangfen, Shanxi is believed to be the capital city of the Yao and Shun dynasties. In this site, cultural factors such as pottery and wine vessels from the Dawenkou culture in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, jade cong and jade bi from the Liangzhu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and double winged jade ornaments from the Shijiahe culture in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River can be seen, indicating that the power groups in the Central Plains region have widely absorbed advanced cultural factors from neighboring regions and their strength continues to grow. During the reign of Emperor Yu, the influence of Central Plains culture on the surrounding areas significantly increased. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the arrival of Central Plains cultural influence can be clearly seen.

2. The enhancement of unity since the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties

About 4000 years ago, the Xia Dynasty was established in the Central Plains region. The Chinese civilization has evolved from a starry ancient civilization to a kingdom civilization led by the Central Plains dynasties. After about 200 years of accumulated strength, the Xia Dynasty saw a series of new changes in the Erlitou culture, with the Erlitou site in Yanshi, Henan Province as its capital, in the late Xia Dynasty. In terms of the palace system, a preliminary palace system characterized by a central axis, symmetrical left and right, and several courtyards in front and back has been formed. On the basis of inheriting the production technology of bronze ware during the Yao and Shun dynasties, he invented the production technology of bronze containers and produced bronze wine vessels such as jue, jia, he, gu, etc; Several jade objects that were originally used as weapons or tools, such as jade spears, jade zhang, jade yue, etc., were endowed with the function of communicating with gods and worshipping gods. As only noble nobles have the qualification to preside over rituals, these jade objects also have the function of indicating the holder's noble status and become jade ritual objects. Especially a type of jade, the jade zhang, radiates strongly to the surrounding area, with its distribution range reaching the southern Fujian and Hong Kong regions along the southeast coast, northwest to the Longdong region, and southwest to the Chengdu Plain. Multiple pieces of this type of jade zhang have been found at the Sanxingdui Site in Guanghan, Sichuan and the Jinsha Site in Chengdu. In addition, a bronze statue of a person holding a jade zhang with both hands and kneeling in a sacrificial setting has been unearthed, proving that this type of jade artifact is a tool for worshipping gods, thus resolving the academic debate on the function of this type of jade artifact. The jade zhang invented by the Xia Dynasty for divine communication is widely distributed in various places, which is thought-provoking. This indicates that the expansion of the Xia and Shang dynasties did not rely on military expansion, but on their advanced culture, known as "soft power", to achieve their influence on vast regions. The early Chinese civilization moved from diversity to unity, originating independently from various regional civilizations and developing into a historical pattern led by the Central Plains dynasties.

After the establishment of the Shang Dynasty, it inherited the system of bronze containers and jade ritual vessels from the Xia Dynasty, and endowed them with new connotations, and the craftsmanship and technology became more proficient and advanced. At this stage, the copper smelting techniques of the Shang Dynasty spread to the surrounding areas, causing the culture of the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the upper and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and the Liaohe River basin to enter the Bronze Age one after another. Bronze ceremonial vessels in the style of the Central Plains Shang Dynasty have been unearthed from various Shang dynasty kingdoms discovered in various regions, as well as bronze vessels with unique characteristics from different regions. The Central Plains Shang Dynasty had a strong influence on the surrounding countries and led the development of China's bronze civilization.

In terms of the burial system, the Shang Dynasty's system of distinguishing different classes and social classes based on the presence and number of tomb passages, as well as the size of the tombs, was widely accepted by various countries. Tombs of high-ranking nobles from various countries with one, two, or even four tomb paths have been discovered in various regions.

After the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, a system of enfeoffment was implemented. The King of Zhou enfeoffed his close relatives and ministers to various regions as vassals, achieving direct and stable rule over vast areas that the Shang Dynasty could not achieve. The bronze artifacts of the Zhou Dynasty system were unearthed in various vassal states, reflecting the widespread implementation of the Zhou Dynasty's palace system, burial system, and ritual and music system in various vassal states, forming an unprecedented situation where the Central Plains Dynasty implemented stable rule over the surrounding areas, significantly enhancing the unity of Chinese civilization.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the power of the Zhou Dynasty declined, and various feudal states rose together, competing and merging with each other, resulting in the emergence of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Seven Hegemons of the Warring States Period. In terms of ideology, there is a situation where a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend. But one thing is that each feudal state aims to unify China. In the end, Qin unified China. By implementing a series of unified policies, such as unifying writing and measuring scales, and building gallows throughout the country, these measures are not only supported by literature, but can also be proven by the discovery of Qin gallows, measuring scales from the Qin Dynasty, and written relics from the Qin Dynasty in various regions. Of particular importance, the Qin Dynasty implemented the county system throughout the country, and the policies of the central dynasty were thoroughly implemented, achieving an unprecedented level of unity, and a unified multi-ethnic country began to take shape.

During the Western Han Dynasty, following the example of the Western Zhou Dynasty, a system of enfeoffment was implemented, and various vassal states and states of all sizes were enfeoffed in various regions. During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, the powerful King Liu Bi of Wu joined forces with six other vassal states to launch a rebellion, which was suppressed by the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty summarized its experience and lessons, adopted measures such as cutting off feudal domains and salt and iron official camps, expanded the scope of the county system, and consolidated the unity of the country.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, China was once again plunged into a situation of warlords competing for supremacy and separatism. The Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu all aimed to unify China, ultimately establishing the Jin Dynasty and ending the separatist situation of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, resulting in short-term unification. During the period of the Five Barbarians and Sixteen Kingdoms, there were constant wars and turmoil in the north. The wealthy literati migrated south to establish the Eastern Jin regime, and China entered a situation of separation between the north and the south. Nevertheless, the tradition of Chinese culture continues. During the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di, and Qiang ethnic groups in the north all absorbed Han culture and its political system to varying degrees, and some even claimed to be descendants of China, such as the Xiongnu. Moreover, the goal of various forces is to unify the country and establish a unified dynasty throughout the country. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the most prominent one in this historical process was the Northern Wei Dynasty established by Tuoba Xianbei. Taking the reform of Emperor Xiaowen as a symbol, Tuoba Xianbei was fully sinicized. The capital city of Luoyang in the late Northern Wei Dynasty innovated on the basis of fully inheriting the capital and palace system of the Han Dynasty, forming a capital and palace system that had a strong impact on later dynasties. In the end, the Northern Zhou Dynasty, which inherited the Western Wei Dynasty, unified China and established the Sui Dynasty. Chinese history has entered another prosperous era of development - the Sui and Tang dynasties.

After the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Song Dynasty separated from the Liao and Jin dynasties in the north and south. However, whether it was the Liao or Jin dynasties, they still heavily absorbed factors such as the political system and ideological culture of the Han ethnic group. In the capitals of the Liao and Jin dynasties, the shadow of the capital and palace system of the Central Plains dynasties can be seen. Since then, from the unification of China by the Mongol Yuan Dynasty to the Ming and Qing dynasties, although the main ethnic groups that established the dynasties have changed, they have never deviated from their ancestors, and they have all inherited a large number of Han Chinese ideas, culture, and political systems.

Another excellent example of demonstrating the unity of Chinese civilization is the Ming and Qing Dynasty imperial temples located in Beijing. This temple was ordered to be built by Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. Among them are statues of three emperors and five emperors from various dynasties. This is not only a place where the Ming Dynasty emperors went to worship, but also a place where the Qing Dynasty emperors often went to worship, indicating that the Qing Dynasty also regarded itself as orthodox in China.

The Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China. Afterwards, although experiencing setbacks, the unification of the country has always been the main theme of the historical process.

In summary, the unity of Chinese civilization did not originate from the unification of China by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, but has a long prehistoric period and historical origins from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. It has gone through a process of flowing from a trickle to a confluence of rivers and rivers, and a hundred rivers returning to the sea. Despite the passage of time, dynastic changes, and the division and integration of the north and south, unification has always been the trend and popular aspiration. The centripetal force and cohesion of the Chinese nation have always existed, becoming the endogenous driving force for maintaining national unity and an important gene for the formation, consolidation, and development of a unified multi-ethnic country.

Guangming Daily

[