Social Sciences in China

Vol. 35, No. 4, 2014

Nation, Buzu and the Formation of the Huaxia Nation

(Abstract)

Wang Zhenzhong

The nation can be broken down into two categories: “ancient nations” and “modern nations.” The ancient Huaxia nation went through two phases in the course of its formation: the self-existent nation and the self-aware nation. The reason the self-existent Huaxia nation1 arose in the Xia and Shang period lies in its unified yet diverse composite state structure that could encompass a variety of buzu within the framework of a dynastic state. The pre-Xia Five Emperors period saw the genesis of the Huaxia nation. During this period, different buzu states were cemented into a diverse yet unified nation-state through a confederation of chiefdoms.