What is the ancient meaning of "Central Plains"?

The Central Plains is a regional concept, which refers to a vast area extending to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River with Henan as the core. This area is the birthplace of Chinese civilization and is regarded as the center of the world by the ancient Chinese nation. The ancients often used "China", "Middle Earth" and "Zhongzhou" as synonyms of the Central Plains. It is generally believed that the Central Plains is a region where ancient Chinese tribes are concentrated, and its center is ancient Yuzhou. With the great integration of the Chinese nation and the expansion of the Central Plains civilization, the Central Plains region has spread. Chinese people with advanced culture call themselves Huaxia to distinguish them from Siyi. Some Xia and Shang dynasties belonged to the surrounding areas of barbarians and Rongdi, and were also included in the Central Plains cultural area with the spread of Central Plains culture. The word "Central Plains" can be found in the Book of Songs from the existing literature. For example, "Xiao Yanan visited Shi Jiayu Ji Day": "Where the paint falls, the place where the son of heaven lives. Looking at the Central Plains, there are many holes in it "(Qi Ju, the name of Ershui on the southern edge of the Loess Plateau in central Shaanxi); Xiao Ya explained that Nanshan governs Xiaowan: "There are cymbals in the Central Plains, and Shu Ren adopts them"; However, these Central Plains are not entirely regional concepts, but represent "plains and Yuan Ye". In modern times, the appellation of the Central Plains was generally used, referring to "the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River", with Henan Province as the main body, including the vast areas around Henan Province, including southern Hebei Province, southeastern Shanxi Province, western Shandong Province, northern Anhui Province and northwestern Jiangsu Province. In a narrow sense, it refers to Henan Province. The word "Central Plains" has a narrow sense and a broad sense. Generally refers to the narrow sense of the Central Plains, that is, Henan Province in particular. The "Central Plains" in a broad sense is a vast area with Henan as the center and infiltrating into parts of neighboring provinces in Henan. The Central Plains has been the core area leading the development of Chinese civilization since ancient times, and it has been the political, economic and cultural center of China for most of the time. Central Plains refers to Henan Province. Henan, also known as "Central Plains" and "Zhongzhou", is also known as "China", "Middle Earth", "Huaxia" and "Shenzhou" in history, with a long history and profound cultural heritage. Historians generally believe that Henan in the Central Plains plays the most important and decisive role in the historical development of the whole Chinese nation. Henan was also a long-term political, economic and cultural center from the Three Emperors and Five Emperors to China in the Northern Song Dynasty. Henan is the most important birthplace of Chinese civilization and the Chinese nation. More than 4,000 years ago, Henan was Yuzhou in the center of Kyushu, China, so it was called "Yu" for short, and it was also called "Zhongzhou" and "Central Plains". Henan is the main residence of early China people and the ancestral home of most China people today. Most of the history of China's political, economic and cultural center is in Henan. Since the first dynasty in China's history, the Xia Dynasty made Henan its capital, there have been 20 dynasties, including Xia, Shang, Western Zhou (Luoyi), Eastern Zhou, Western Han (early), Eastern Han, Cao Wei, Western Jin, Northern Wei, Sui, Tang (including Wu Zhou), Five Dynasties, Northern Song and Jin. Among the eight ancient capitals of China, Henan Province accounts for four, namely Zhengzhou, the ancient capital of Xia and Shang Dynasties; Anyang and Yinye, seven dynasties; Luoyang, the ancient capital of 13th Dynasty; and Kaifeng, seven dynasties. However, Henan is also the most concentrated area of wars and disasters in the history of China. Many nationalities, races and countries are vying for the control of the Central Plains. In different historical periods, a large number of Henan people emigrated to avoid the war, which greatly promoted the development of many parts of the motherland and the spread of Chinese civilization. This is the birthplace of Chinese civilization and the cradle of the Chinese nation. The scope evolved in the early stage of Chinese civilization, because the place names of "Tianxia" and "Heluo" specifically refer to Luoyang area, and became the heart of the Central Plains due to the establishment of Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the prosperity of Heluo culture. In the pre-Qin period, Luoyi (now Luoyang) was said to be the center of the world. As the Huaxia people moved to the surrounding areas, their activities expanded. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the concept of the Central Plains was extended to the vassal states of China, corresponding to remote areas such as Qin and Wu. Since the Qin Dynasty, the meaning of the word Zhongyuan has been further expanded, which can refer to the vast areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, including Henan, Shaanxi Guanzhong, Shanxi and southern Hebei, western Shandong, northwestern Hubei, northern Anhui and northwestern Jiangsu. Biography of Li Gang in Song Dynasty: "Central Plains" means the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Occasionally also refers to the Yellow River basin. In Zhuge Liang's "Model", the "Central Plains", which was awarded by the three armies, was originally scheduled to be in the north, refers to the north of Huaihe River.