Huaxia


Huaxia is a historical concept representing the Chinese nation and civilization, and came from the self-awareness of a common cultural ancestry by the various confederacy era Han Chinese people.

Etymology

According to the Zuo zhuan, xia signified the "grandness" in the ceremonial etiquette of China, while hua was used in reference to the "beauty" in the clothing that the Chinese people wore.

History

Origin

Huaxia refers to a confederation of tribes—living along the Yellow River—who were the ancestors of what later became the Han ethnic group in China. During the Warring States, the self-awareness of the Huaxia identity developed and took hold in ancient China. Initially, Huaxia defined mainly a civilized society that was distinct and stood in contrast to what was perceived as the barbaric peoples around them.

Modern usage

Although still used in conjunction, the Chinese characters for hua and xia are also used separately as autonyms.
The official Chinese names of both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China use the term Huaxia in combination with the term Zhongguo, that is, as Zhonghua. The PRC's official Chinese name is Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo, while that of the ROC is Zhonghua Minguo. The term Zhongguo is confined by its association to a state, whereas Zhonghua mainly concerns culture. The latter is being used as part of the nationalist term Zhōnghuá Mínzú which is an all Chinese nationality in the sense of a multi-ethnic national identity.
The term Huaren for a Chinese person is an abbreviation of Huaxia with ren. Huaren in general is used for people of Chinese ethnicity, in contrast to Zhongguoren which usually refers to citizens of China. Although some may use Zhongguoren to refer to the Chinese ethnicity, such usage is not accepted by some in Taiwan. In overseas Chinese communities in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, Huaren or Huaqiao is used as they are not citizens of China.