"Chinese nation" is a common word, full of five thousand years of historical vicissitudes. In fact, this word, or this concept, has only been put forward for more than one hundred years. The word "China" was synthesized from China and Huaxia by philosophers who believed in the concept of "the unity of man and nature" in Wei and Jin Dynasties in 300 AD. "Hua" focuses on the nation (people) and generally refers to China. The so-called ancient "China" refers to the "Central Plains" of later generations, but its geographical scope is not as wide as that of later generations, only equivalent to most of Shaanxi, southwestern Shanxi and northwestern Henan.

At present, in China's credible literature, the word Huaxia is the first word called "Xia" in Zuo Zhuan Ding Gong Ten Years, and the annotation in Chunqiu ZuoZhuan Justice: "China is called Xia because of its great gift; To serve the beauty of printing is called China. " It means that China is a country of etiquette, so it is called "Xia", which means elegance; People in China dress beautifully, pretending to be "Hua". Historians believe that Hua originated in ancient times (near An, Shaanxi Province), and some people say that Hua was named after Huashan and Xia was named after Xiashui (Hanshui). Over time, "China" has become synonymous with China and China.

The word "Chinese nation" is a combination of "China" with a long history and "nation" imported from the west in modern times. Liang Qichao, Yang Du and Zhang Taiyan were pioneers who used the word "Chinese nation" earlier. Liang Qichao first used the word "Chinese nation". But Liang Qichao also coined the word "Oriental Nation", which he wrote in 1899.