Zhong Guo (Ge)

ZHONG GUO （中国） : THE FORMATION AND

CHANGES OF ITS TERRITORY

Ge Jianxiong

Director of Fudan University Library,

Professor of historical geography

•The Originality of 中國•何尊铭文• 惟武王既克大邑商，則廷告於上天曰：余自宅兹中國，自之辟民。

CONCEPT OF CHINA 中國

中 zhong central, middle 国（國） guo settlement,

locality, town, kingdom, country• 万国（萬國） ten thousand guo • 中国 central empire, middle

empire

Fundamental conception of Confucism

• China is the only center of the land under haven while the areas out of China were savage and wild, and the non-Huaxia ( 华夏 ) minorities were but barbarians. The difference between Huaxia or non-Huaxia is not based on blood lines but culture.

Fundamental conception of Confucism

• Agriculture is the fundamental production while commerce and business may be neglected. This is why

the great unification ( 大一统 ) is usually not including the pasture area.

• From Han Dynasty to Qing Dynasty, though the territory had been expanded or shrunk time and again, the permanent administrative regions were usually limited to the agricultural zone and no essential enlargement had been witnessed. As a result, China had never threatened the neighboring areas. The unification of the agricultural and the pasture areas and the territory expansion were usually the result of nomadic aggression but not the realization of the Confucian thought for great unification. The military conquerors were eventually conquered by the

• Chinese culture without exception.

THE FUNDALMENTAL CONSIDERATION OF NEW

TERRITORY

• Is it suitable for agriculture?

• Or at least, will it be too difficult to transport grain from inland?

• Are the people there naturalized or are there enough Han (Huaxia) people to support an administrative division?

• What kind of means is going to take, by virtue （德） or by weapons （兵） ?

THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE

CONSIDERATION• “ 普天之下，莫非王土。” All the land under

heaven belongs to the king.

• “ 天朝无所不有，无须仰赖外人。” Nothing is not available in this heavenly empire and should rely on the foreigners.

• “ 夷夏有别” “华夷大防” The difference between Huaxia and Yi must be maintained.

• It was not until the Opium War that these concepts had been challenged from outside.

Zhong Guo: The Formation and Development of Its Territory

CONFERENCE

2010NationalChineseLanguage


CONFERENCE



第三届全美中文大会

Education

Zhong Guo (Ge)