When discussing the history of world civilization, some scholars in the United States often mention that China's history is about 3,000 years old. This view usually places the beginning of Chinese history at the Shang Dynasty, as some scholars question the actual existence of the Xia Dynasty and argue that there is a lack of conclusive archaeological evidence. Therefore, according to this view, the history of Chinese civilization began around 1600 BC from the Shang Dynasty, thus deriving a history of more than 3,000 years.
In Europe, some scholars have a slightly different perception of Chinese history, arguing that China's history is about 4,000 years old. This view takes into account the existence of the Xia dynasty, and even if the authenticity of the Xia dynasty is questioned, there are still some scholars who are willing to include it in the calculations of the history of Chinese civilization. In this way, if we count from the establishment of the Xia Dynasty, the starting point of Chinese civilization can be traced back to around 2070 BC, thus deriving a history of more than 4000 years.
In India, it is widely believed that their civilization has a longer history, claiming more than 5,000 years of history. This assertion is based on the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilization, evidence of which dates back to around 3300 BC or even earlier.
However, as has been demonstrated, the views of some foreign scholars on the history of civilizations around the world are not always accurate. For China, some scholars have questioned the fact that even including the Xia Dynasty, the history of Chinese civilization is only 4,000 years old, let alone those who believe that it should be counted from the Shang Dynasty. These doubts often stem from a shallow understanding of Chinese history and culture, or are based on a particular ideological bias.
In fact, Chinese archaeologists and historians have found evidence of China's long history. For example, the discovery of the Liangzhu cultural site, which dates back at least 6,000 years. This discovery shows that the history of Chinese civilization is far older than Western scholars realize. In China, people often modestly say that they have a 5,000-year history of civilization, but judging by the discovery of the Liangzhu culture, this history may be even older.
As time passed, the Chinese people became more and more indifferent to the outside world's perception of their own civilization history. This shift in attitudes reflects a growing cultural self-confidence, with Chinese less concerned with foreigners' evaluations and more confident in recognizing the value and importance of their own culture. This cultural self-confidence is the result of in-depth historical research and understanding, as well as a sense of pride in one's own cultural heritage.