From the Hukou Waterfalls, we travel back in time to trace how the Middle Kingdom (中国) came to be known as the name of a country – China. The Chinese never use “China” when they refer to their country. They call themselves “Middle Kingdom people” (中国人) – and not “Chinese”.
In the misty past, 中 was a symbol for convening meetings. Because it was placed in the centre of a flag, it acquired the extended meaning of being in the middle. 国 in ancient times refers to a city. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th century that the expression 中国 acquired the specific meaning of a sovereign entity. Otherwise, throughout Chinese history, 中国 was used as an adjective or a descriptor and how it was used changed with different periods. Some of the documented use and meaning of 中国 include:
- The city where the emperor resides, the jurisdiction under the rule of the emperor(王国) – usually located in the centre of territories controlled by his allied warlords;
- The central plains (中原地区) where the central section of the Yellow River (黄河中游) flows through (中原之国, shortened to 中国);
- Domestic (国内,内地), as opposed to international;
- The area where the Han people (汉族) reside.
Dynastic names were used for the state in Imperial China as the idea of the state aside from the ruling dynasty was little understood. The concept of a sovereign country is a European construct. It started with the Peace Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Before then, there was no concept of countries, as we know today, with defined borders and jurisdictions.
In 1901 a well-known social activist, journalist, and intellectual Liang Qichao (梁启超) introduced the concept of the Chinese race (中华民族). This idea was revolutionary as it included all the ethnic groups (the majority Han (92%), Manchus, Mongolians, Hui, and 52 other minority races) into one family. He once famously remarked that “our greatest shame is that our country has no name”. Under the influence of Liang Qichao, Dr. Sun Yat Sen (the founder of the Republic of China (1912), named China as 中华民国 (often abbreviated to 中国). This was the first time the Chinese used 中国(Middle Kingdom) to designate their country as a sovereign entity.
In 1949, the victorious Chinese Communist Party established the new China giving her the official full name “The People’s Republic of China, PRC” – 中华人民共和国- again commonly shortened to 中国。Hence, the term “Middle Kingdom” (中国), as a modern sovereign state, can be considered as a literal translation of an abbreviation.
Readers should note how some Western countries interpret “Middle Kingdom.” Below is one such example from the Australian Musuem
At different times China was called the Middle or Central Kingdom, implying its superior role, the Centre of Civilisation or even the World. With such self confidence and collective sentiment China was prone to isolation. Partially because of this inward-looking attitude it failed to modernise sufficiently in the 19th century to confront the aggressive industrialising European powers, the United States and Japan from its position of strength.
By the mid 20th century, the term Middle Kingdom, or more accurately the Central Kingdom, was thoroughly entrenched in the English language to reflect the Western view of China as an inward looking country. China, as an occupied country embroiled with internal strife, could not be otherwise. She has now put her house in order. With her ascension into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 11th December 2001, she is today a leading example of an outward-looking country.
I enjoy travelling as it simulates my curiosity, widens my knowledge and deepens my understanding. It helps me appreciate people, their culture and history. It reminds me to be more open-minded and less judgmental.