Why is China called one of the world's oldest civilizations when China didn't exst as a kingdom before 221BC?

为什么中国被称为世界上最古老的文明之一，中国在公元前221年之前都还没有王国呢

以下是Quora网友的评论：

Doyle Drake

That might be a wrong question. According to knowledge I know from the video game” Crusader Kings”, China had established its first empire dynasty Qin at the year of 221BC. Before that, countless kingdoms had already rised and fallen in China for over thousand years.

这个问题可能本身就是错的。我在玩电子游戏“十字军之王”时了解到的是中国在公元前221年已经建立了第一个帝国秦国。数千年来，中国已经经历过无数个王朝的兴衰了。

Mongold

The culture that formed the basis of what makes the union/original tribe of what is China and Chinese civilization began with the father of Chinese civilization himself: Gongsun Xuanyuan, 2698 BC-2598 BC:

构成中国和中华文明的原始部落基础的文化始于中华文明之父公孙宣渊(公元前2698年-公元前2598年)。

Eugenio Orlandi

According to historical sources and archeological evidence the oldest civilizations flourished in Egypt and in Mesopotamia more than 5,000 years ago. According to historical sources and archeological evidence the Chinese civilization is at least one thousand years younger compared to Egypt and Sumer. It is also true that the Egyptian and the Sumerian civilizations have disappeared but some of their achievements still survive in the civilizations that replaced both of them. If it is true that China was unified only in 221 BC it is also true that in 221 BC there was a political unification of pre-exsting very similar civilizations flourished in the area of today China a bit less than two millennia before. A civilization (the Yellow River civilization) is a broader concept compared to a state entity (China under Qin Shi Huang Di). If we speak of the oldest still exsting civilization, may be China has to share the record with the Indus Valley civilization.

根据历史资料和考古证据，5000多年前，埃及和美索不达米亚地区出现了最古老的文明。中国文明至少比埃及和苏美尔文明晚了一千年。埃及文明和苏美尔文明已经消失了，这是事实，但她们的文明成就在后继文明中仍然存在。如果中国真的在公元前221年才实现统一，那么在公元前221年，在不到两千年前，在今天的中国地区就已经存在着非常相似的文明了，那么政治统一也会是真的。与国家(秦始皇统治下的中国)相比，文明(黄河文明)是更为广泛的概念。如果我们要选出现存的最古老文明，可能是中国文明和印度河流域文明。

Shall-Theway

let's see about other old civilizations.

they barely get a continuous inherited, which in Chinese, I called “传承”. (The only culture that I think have this like China do, is Iranian. This is just my personal opinion.)

But China, as a great power in East Asia, rule and rule and rule it's territory in past Thousands years. That, is obviously a continuously inherit. At least in my point of view.

我们看看其他古老的文明吧。

他们几乎没有顺利延续下来，在中文里，我称之为“传承”。(我认为唯一一个和中国文明相似的是伊朗文明。这只是我个人的看法。)

但是中国作为东亚的一个大国，在过去的几千年里一直统治着自己的领土，中国文明实现了传承。

Berkay

China is considered one of the oldest civilizations as it has one of the oldest cultures in the world1. According to ancient historical texts such as the Book of Documents (early chapters, 11th century BC), the Bamboo Chronicles (ca. 296 BC), and the Records of the Grand Historian (ca. 91 BC), China is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization2. The name "Chinese" comes from Sanskrit China (derived from the name of the Chinese Qin Dynasty, pronounced "Chin") translated as "Chin" by the Persians and apparently popularized through trade along the Silk Road.

中国被认为是最古老的文明之一，因为中国拥有世界上最古老的文化之一。根据《尚书》(公元前11世纪)、《竹志》(公元前296年)和《史记》(公元前91年)等古代历史文献，中国是世界上最古老的文明之一。中国被视为文明的摇篮之一。“Chinese”这个名字来自梵语China(秦朝的名字发音为“Chin”)，波斯人将其翻译为“Chin”，这个事实显然是通过丝绸之路的贸易而逐步推广开来的。

Anson Chen

China is known as one of the world's oldest civilizations primarily due to its long history and cultural heritage. Although China was not a unified kingdom before 221 BC and instead consisted of various feudal states, its civilization can be traced back thousands of years.

China possesses abundant archaeological sites, historical records, cultural traditions, and technological innovations, providing evidence of its ancient civilization. The ancient Chinese historical records, such as "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Zizhi Tongjian," offer detailed accounts of China's political, social, economic, and cultural development since ancient times.

中国被称为世界上最古老的文明之一，主要是因为中国拥有悠久的历史和文化遗产。虽然中国在公元前221年之前还没有形成一个统一王国，而是由多个封建国家组成，但中国文明可以追溯到几千年前。

中国拥有丰富的考古遗址、历史记载、文化传统和技术创新，为古代文明提供了证据。中国的古代史书如《史记》和《资治通鉴》等就详细记述了中国自古以来的政治、社会、经济和文化发展。

The uniqueness and enduring influence of ancient Chinese culture also contribute to its recognition as an ancient civilization. Chinese philosophy, literature, art, architectural styles, and system of governance have had profound impacts on the world. For instance, Confucianism has greatly influenced the values and behavioral norms of Chinese society and has spread to neighboring regions.

Furthermore, China's significant technological innovations serve as important markers of its ancient civilization. Ancient China invented many important technologies, including papermaking, gunpowder, the compass, and printing, which have had far-reaching effects on the world.

In summary, despite not being a unified kingdom before 221 BC, China's extensive history, rich cultural traditions, and significant technological innovations have positioned it as one of the world's oldest civilizations.

中国古代文化的独特性和持久影响力也使得中国被公认为一个古老的文明。中国的哲学思想、文学艺术、建筑风格、治理制度对世界产生了深远影响。例如，儒家思想极大地影响了中国社会的价值观和行为规范，并传播到附近的国家。

此外，中国重大的技术创新也是其古老文明的重要标志。中国古代发明了许多重要的技术，包括造纸术、火药、指南针和印刷术，这些技术对世界产生了深远的影响。

总之，尽管中国在公元前221年之前不是一个统一的王国，但中国悠久的历史、丰富的文化传统和重大的技术创新都使其成为世界上最古老的文明之一。

Freddy Feng

China is often referred to as one of the world's oldest civilizations because the Chinese civilization has a continuous history that spans over 5,000 years. The Chinese people have a rich cultural heritage that has evolved, and many of their cultural and technological innovations have had a significant impact on world history.

While China did not exst as a unified kingdom before the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), some several earlier states and cultures exsted in the region, such as the ia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties. These early states laid the foundation for the development of Chinese culture and language.

In addition, the Chinese civilization has been characterized by its long-standing traditions, such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, which have influenced Chinese society for thousands of years. These traditions have helped to shape the values, beliefs, and practices of the Chinese people, and have contributed to the unique cultural identity of China.

Overall, the term "oldest civilization" is often used to refer to the long and rich history of Chinese culture and society, which has had a lasting impact on the world.

中国经常被称为世界上最古老的文明之一，因为中华文明有5000多年的历史传承。中国人民拥有丰富的的文化遗产，他们的许多文化和技术创新都对世界历史产生了重大影响。

虽然在秦朝(公元前221-206年)之前，中国并不是一个统一王国，但中国的土地上已经存在过一些早期的国家和文化，比如夏、商和周。这些国家为中国文化和语言的发展奠定了基础。

此外，中国文明的特点是其拥有悠久的传统，如儒家、道教和佛教，这些传统影响了中国社会数千年时间，塑造了中国人民的价值观、信仰和习俗，并形成了中国独特的文化特征。

总的来说，我们一般会用“最古老的文明”一词描述源远流长的中国文明和历史，这对世界产生了持久的影响。

Noel Lorenzana

Perhaps the Chinese kingdom was not consolidated until 221 BC but the people of various tribes were there. The DNA was there and still is. If we Americans continue being divided the way we are now, the American empire will collapse on itself from within, as all empires thru history have, and China may very well be the next hegemon. India is also in the running.

也许直到公元前221年中国才得以统一，但在此之前各个部落的人民就已经生活在这片土地上了。DNA从远古绵延传承至今。如果我们美国人继续像现在这样分裂，美国就会像历史上所有帝国一样从内部开始崩塌，中国很可能成为下一个霸主。印度也有一定希望。

Yuyu Law

This question seems to be quite misleading... You seem to be confusing the concepts of political power and culture. Generally speaking, "China" has different meanings in different contexts. When you refer to politics, "China" today refers to the "People's Republic of China," while when you refer to ancient China, you are referring to the dynasties and culture that have continued to evolve on the land of China. What's more important is that even over 4,000 years ago, "China" was characterized by bloodline, culture, beliefs, lifestyle habits, willpower, and moral norms that have continued to this day in China. I can't understand why this would be a problem for you. This concept and logic can be extended to what we commonly refer to as the "Chinese nation," which does not only represent the Han people, nor does it represent people with Chinese nationality, but rather refers to people who have evolved from Chinese culture and still adhere to Chinese culture today.

这个问题似乎很容易误导人。你混淆了政治权力和文明的概念。一般来说，“中国”在不同的语境中有不同的含义。当你提到政治时，今天的“中国”指的是“中华人民共和国”，而当你提到古代中国时，你指的是在中国土地上不断交替更迭的朝代和文化。更重要的是，即使在4000多年前，“中国”就已经形成了延续至今的血统、文化、信仰、生活习惯、意志力和道德规范。我不明白为什么你不明白。这个概念和逻辑可以延伸到我们通常所说的“中华民族”，它不仅代表汉人，也不仅代表具有中国国籍的人，而是指至今仍传承沿袭了中国文化的人。

Timothy Ellis Author

Sorry, what?

Civilization in China goes back to 4000BC and further.

Kingdoms come and go.

You can’t judge a civilization by individual kingdoms.

China has had a LOT of them.

不好意思，你说啥呢？

中国的文明可以追溯到公元前4000年甚至更早之前。

各个朝代交替更迭，经历兴衰。

你不能以单个王国来判断一个文明。

中国的土地上出现过许许多多的王国。

Frances Henderson

You seem to presume a “kingdom” is necessary for a society to develop. A civilization is far more important and defining to a culture. The Chinese were an advanced culture and social organization long before they became a kingdom. The Chinese were writing about their history by 1250 BC. They were led by the Shang Dynasty from 1600 BC and had a long history of prosperity, war, and extraordinary inventions along the way. They are certainly one of the most ancient and advanced cultures in prehistory. With or without a kingdom, that is, if you don’t recognize a dynasty as a kingdom.

你好像觉得“王国”是社会发展的必需因素。但文明远比文化更重要，更具有决定性。早在成立王国之前，中国人就拥有了先进的文化和社会组织。中国人在公元前1250年就开始用文字记录他们的历史了。公元前1600年商朝就出现了，从此之后中国就开始经历悠久的繁荣历史、战争以及非凡的发明成就。中国文明无疑是史前最古老、最先进的文明之一。

HEX Agon

Chinese civization starts around 4000 years ago as a culture, and it is probaly the only civilization maintained by the same ethnicity uninterrupted. All others are Indo-Europeanized or Arabized.

中华文明大约始于4000年前，可能是唯一一个由同一民族成功延续下来的文明。其他文明都已经被印欧化或阿拉伯化了。

Thomas Loy

Would it help if it said, “The civilization that we now call China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations. It has varied in size and has had many forms of government over the millennia.”

这样说更合适吧：“几千年来，虽然经历了兴衰更替和各朝统治，我们现在称之为中国的文明是世界上最古老的文明之一。”

Epstein Lance

Exsting as a kingdom and exsting as a civilisation are two different things. Civilisation predates kingdoms in every part of the world.

作为一个王国存在和作为一个文明存在是两回事。文明在世界各地都是先于王国出现的。

Snake's Knowledge

With more than four thousand years of recorded history, China is the world's oldest continuous civilization. The largest country in Asia, China stretches from the continent's eastern seaboard to the borders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakstan in the west.

中国拥有4000多年的有文字记录的历史，是世界上最古老的连续文明。中国是亚洲最大的国家，从亚洲东部沿海一直延伸到西部的阿富汗、塔吉克斯坦、吉尔吉斯斯坦和哈萨克斯坦的边境。

Kadinkai

220 BC was the first unification of seven states to become one China.

But you’re ignoring the time before it.

A country’s history isn’t just determined by name but culture, writing, tradition and etc. You’re discounting all of that, which isn’t the norm.

公元前220年是七个国家第一次统一，形成中国的时间。

但你忽略了之前的历史。

一个国家的历史不是只由名字决定的，还有文化、文字、传统等等。你不能把这些都忽略不计。

Sandra Derendy

The real question is “how old is Chinese stream of consciousness”, not when a particular kingdom began. To solve this puzzle, you have to look at archaeology.

真正的问题应该是：“中国的群体意识有多古老？”，而不在于某个特定的王国是何时开始的。想要解开这个谜团的话，就必须求助于考古学。