Author: Chen Sanxia.
The Chinese civilization has a history of thousands of years and is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. The Chinese civilization has a long and profound history, like a brilliant river, flowing from ancient times to the present, bringing us rich cultural treasures and traditional wisdom. Understanding the historical context of the origin, formation and development of Chinese civilization is of vital significance for us to understand and grasp the essence and characteristics of Chinese culture and to carry forward the excellent traditional culture. This is not only a tracing of history, but also the inheritance and development of the national spirit and culture.
The formation and development of Chinese civilization has gone through a long and complex process. Some people once questioned whether today's people keep saying that it is 5,000 years up and down, is this real history, or is it an ethereal ancient history and legend? I believe many people are interested in this question. So, how long is the history of Chinese civilization? Who can answer? Who is qualified to answer? Is there any evidence for this?
In the spring of 2002, the state launched the "Chinese Civilization Exploration Project". This project has been more than 20 years, more than 400 experts and scholars continue to explore, continue to innovate, for the first time using archaeological data, with the support of modern science and technology, on the basis of fully absorbing the research results of predecessors, the origin of Chinese civilization and the early development process of multi-angle, multi-level, all-round comprehensive research, face the origin of Chinese civilization. Now, these latest research results are led by several heavyweight scholars of the source exploration project, and they present readers with a heavy masterpiece - "Tracing the Origin of Chinese Civilization".
Wang Wei, chairman of the Chinese Archaeological Society, is the chief expert of the first to fourth phases of the source exploration project and the main author of the book. Based on years of research, Wang Wei believes that 5,000 years is actually a slightly conservative number. 10,000 years ago, millet and millet had been cultivated in northern China, and rice had begun to be cultivated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The emergence of agriculture brought the ancestors into a state of settlement and laid a solid foundation for the emergence of civilization. 8,000 years ago, agriculture developed significantly, production was popularized, class differentiation appeared in society, and the process of the origin of civilization officially began. Around 6,000 years ago, the number of settlements increased, the scale expanded, the handicraft industry developed significantly, and the rhythm of the origin of civilization accelerated. 5500-5000 years ago is a very important period in the history of Chinese civilization, the division of labor in society appeared, the ritual system was initially formed, and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and other regions entered the stage of civilization one after another. Around 4,300 years ago, the civilization in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River declined, the power of the middle reaches of the Yellow River grew, and the Central Plains began to rise. Around 4,000 years ago, the Xia Dynasty was established, early political China was formed, and Chinese civilization entered a new stage centered on the Central Plains. 3,000 years ago, royal power was consolidated, and the social hierarchy was strict; More than 2,200 years ago, a unified multi-ethnic state was formed, and the pattern of unification of the world was thus formed. The timeline of civilization development sorted out by Wang Wei can be said to have put forward the "Chinese plan" of civilization standards.
Since ancient times, China has a vast territory, many ethnic groups, and different civilizations in different regions have prospered, showing unique characteristics and charms. These civilizations have different achievements and contributions in their respective fields, which together constitute the diversity and richness of Chinese civilization. At the same time, this also determines that in the process of development, Chinese civilization has continuously absorbed and integrated cultural elements from different regions and different nationalities, forming a diversified and integrated cultural pattern. This kind of inclusive, open and inclusive cultural characteristics have made the Chinese civilization constantly glow with new vitality and vitality in the course of history. So, are there any commonalities in the process of civilization in various regions? The study of the commonalities of different civilizations is also one of the focuses of the experts and scholars of the source exploration project, and the following commonalities are summarized: the development of agriculture and handicrafts, the significant increase in population, the significant changes in social structure, and the emergence of large-scale settlements with an area of one million square meters, indicating the emergence of the phenomenon of population concentration in the political center; Social differentiation became more and more serious, with the emergence of a management class that was detached from labor and was in charge of the public affairs of the group, and the leaders who held military command power, as well as families of craftsmen specializing in high-tech handicrafts such as jade cutting, bone making, and copper smelting; There is a clear division between the rich and the poor in society, and the wealth of society is occupied by the elite and families.
Take the rise and development of the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins, which everyone is very familiar with, as an example. It is precisely because the development of agriculture provided the ancestors with relatively stable food and even surplus value, laid the foundation for population growth, community expansion and complexity, and brought a series of important changes to the prehistoric society in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins. The environment suitable for agricultural development is an important condition for the formation and development of civilization in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Around 4,300 years ago, environmental changes caused a serious blow to agriculture, which was an important reason for the decline of civilization in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. One of the important reasons for the gradual growth of the power of the middle reaches of the Yellow River and the rise of the Central Plains is that compared with the low terrain and single rice cultivation in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the diverse topographic conditions and the multi-variety crop planting system composed of millet and rice beans have enabled the people in the middle reaches of the Yellow River to cope with changes in the natural environment with greater room for maneuver and stronger ability to resist risks. To summarize the overall trend of the development of these civilizations, it is necessary to start from a longer historical stage, and a grand historical vision is needed. (Chen Sanxia).
In ancient China, the planning of the capital city was often centered on the central axis, showing strong symmetry and order. The central axis not only plays a vital role in the overall layout of the capital, but also the core of the city's spatial layout and architectural design. From the royal palace to the dwellings, from the city streets to the city walls, the existence of the central axis makes the whole city look more coordinated, unified and orderly. This planning concept was not only highly praised at the time, but is still widely used today. So, when can this urban planning principle of choosing the middle to build the capital and choose the neutral palace go back to the earliest? It has been clearly reflected in the layout of the Yanshi Erlitou site in Henan, which was recognized by the academic community as the capital of the late Xia Dynasty, and the Shuanghuashu site in Gongyi, Henan, which was considered by the academic community to be the capital of the ancient Heluo Kingdom in 5300 years ago, has also begun to take shape. This layout, centered on the central axis and arranged side by side with east and west, opened the precursor of the palace system of the ancient Chinese capital city, and had a far-reaching influence. Wang Wei pointed out in the book that the concept of "China" has a long history, which is also a direct embodiment of the continuous and passing on of the torch of Chinese civilization.
Today, we study and understand the history and culture of Chinese civilization, not only to trace and inherit our national culture, but also to better understand and grasp our national spirit. Only by having a deep understanding of one's own cultural roots and historical traditions can one better grasp one's future direction and direction. It is of great and far-reaching significance to understand the historical context of the origin, formation and development of Chinese civilization and to understand the characteristics and characteristics of Chinese civilization.
Through in-depth excavation of historical documents and archaeological data, the book "Tracing the Origin of Chinese Civilization" reveals the origin and development process of Chinese civilization for us. From the primitive society in ancient times to the feudal society of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, and then to the unified dynasty of the Qin and Han dynasties, the Chinese nation has gradually formed a unique political, economic and cultural system. This historical process is full of twists and turns, but it is precisely this pluralistic and inclusive characteristics that have enabled the Chinese civilization to continue and become one of the oldest and best civilizations in the world.
Tracing the Origin of Chinese Civilization is like a bright beacon, illuminating the long history of Chinese civilization and painting a magnificent picture for us. It not only confirms the authenticity of the 5,000-year-old civilization history of the Chinese nation, but also allows the Chinese people and the descendants of the Yan and Huang people all over the world to get a glimpse of the historical context of the origin, formation and development of Chinese civilization.
*: Wen Wei Po.