How did China keep together a continent-sized country, whereas Europe fought and fractured?

中国疆域如此辽阔，是如何保持统一的，倒是欧洲的战争和分裂始终不断？

以下是Quora网友的评论：

US We

I read this topic from several sources, and the same conclusion I got was that it was philosophy and a common written language that held the civilization state together.

The philosophies in ancient to imperial China, were applied in a pragmatic way, and not as dogmatic as things could have been.

So, many different peoples throughout different regions and periods of time felt an affinity to coalesce compared with the need to carve out a place just for people who are similar to them by blood or whatever attribute.

我在很多个地方都看到过这个话题，我得到了一个相同的结论，那就是哲学体系和通行的书面语言可以维系文明国家的统一。

从古代中国到帝制中国，哲学都是出于实用的目的，而非教条主义。

因此，在不同地区、不同时期，许多民族都能感受到融合的亲和力，不需要为了血缘或其他属性相似的人单独开疆辟土。

I listened to some Taiwanese historical podcasts that said on the very basic level, as long as you can communicate in the language and don’t isolate yourself, you’re considered part of the Chinese civilization, despite your origins.

More or less that’s the feeling, and of course there’s some discrepancies here and there …and depends on which ruling dynasty or kingdom… but that’s the basic gist of things of how the civilization state was able to keep it together for so long despite ups and downs.

我听过一些台湾历史播客说，基本上只要你能用中文交流，不把自己孤立封闭起来，你就是中国文明的一份子，不论你来自哪里。

差不多就是这种感觉，当然，多多少少会有一些差异，这取决于当时统治的王朝或王国，但这就是中国文明能够在历史潮汐中保持长时间统一的根本原因。

The history of Iran has a similar, but not exact, civilization coalescence, and they’ve been through more profound changes and influences than China one can argue. So, it’s not uniquely exceptional that only China pull this off, and there are logical explanations for everything.

I know many people have mentioned about the geography factor, but there are a lot of similar geographic barriers within China which is comparable to Europe. So it leads me to think that the civilization coalescence in Chinese history has more to do with a people factor than a natural physical feature factor.

伊朗的历史也有着相似的文明融合，他们经历了比中国更深刻的变化和影响。所以，只有中国能做到这一点并不是特例，一切都有合理的解释。

我知道很多人提到了地理因素，但中国也有很多和欧洲类似的地理屏障。所以，我认为中国历史上的文明融合更多的是人的因素，而非自然因素。

Patrick S

China’s ability to maintain unity as a continent-sized country while Europe experienced fragmentation and conflict can be attributed to several key factors throughout history. One major factor is the early establishment of a centralized bureaucratic system in China, dating back to ancient times. The Chinese imperial system, with its emphasis on a strong central government, effective administration, and a unified cultural identity, played a crucial role in kee the vast territory of China under control.

在欧洲经历分裂和冲突时，中国这个面积堪比大陆的国家之所以能够保持统一，可以归因于历史上的几个关键因素。其中一个主要因素是中国建立的中央的官僚体系，这个体系可以追溯到古代。

中国的帝王制重视强大的中央政府、高效的行政管理和统一的文化认同，在控制中国的辽阔疆土方面发挥了至关重要的作用。

In contrast, Europe was characterized by a patchwork of kingdoms, empires, and city-states, each vying for power and often engaged in conflicts with one another. The lack of a strong central authority in Europe led to frequent wars, shifting borders, and the emergence of multiple competing power centers.

Additionally, China’s geographic features, such as natural barriers like mountain ranges and deserts, helped to create a sense of cohesion and separation from neighboring regions. The Great Wall of China, for example, symbolizes both physical and psychological barriers that reinforced the idea of a distinct Chinese civilization.

相比之下，欧洲的特点是有许多王国、帝国和城邦，每个国家都在争夺权力，并经常相互冲突。欧洲缺乏强大的中央权威，导致了频繁的战争、不断变化的边境和多个相互较劲的权力中心的出现。

此外，中国的地理特征，如山脉和沙漠等自然屏障，有助于创造一种与邻近地区的凝聚力和分离感。例如，中国的长城象征着物理和心理上的障碍，强化了中国文明独特的观念。

Furthermore, China’s long history of cultural and linguistic homogeneity also contributed to its unity. The Chinese language, writing system, philosophical traditions, and Confucian values served as unifying forces that transcended regional differences and fostered a shared sense of identity among the Chinese people.

In contrast, Europe’s diverse array of languages, cultures, and historical legacies made it more challenging to forge a common identity and sense of unity. The presence of different ethnic groups, religions, and political ideologies further complicated efforts to achieve lasting stability and cooperation across the continent.

此外，中国悠久的文化和语言同质性历史也促成了国家的统一。中国的语言、文字、哲学传统和儒家价值观成了超越地域差异的统一力量，并在中国民众中培养了一种共同的认同感。

相比之下，欧洲语言、文化和历史遗产的多样性使得人们很难形成共同的身份认同和团结意识。不同的民族、宗教和政治意识形态，使整个欧洲大陆实现持久稳定与合作的努力变得更加困难。

Another important factor in China’s unity is the role of dynastic cycles, where successive ruling dynasties would rise and fall but still maintain the overall structure of centralized governance. This continuity of political institutions, combined with a deep-rooted respect for authority and hierarchy, helped to sustain stability and order in China over many centuries.

On the other hand, Europe’s history was marked by frequent changes in leadership, shifting alliances, and the rise and fall of empires, leading to constant power struggles and territorial disputes that hindered long-term unity and cooperation.

中国统一的另一个重要因素是王朝的更替，历代统治王朝不断兴衰交替，但仍然保持中央统治的结构。这种政治制度的连续性，加上对权威和等级制度根深蒂固的尊重，帮助中国维持了几个世纪的稳定和秩序。

另一方面，欧洲历史的特点是领导层、盟国的频繁更迭以及帝国的兴衰，导致不断的权力斗争和领土争端，妨碍了长期的团结与合作。

All in all, China’s ability to keep together a continent-sized country can be attributed to its centralized governance, cultural homogeneity, geographic barriers, and historical continuity. These factors have helped China navigate challenges and maintain a sense of unity over millennia, in contrast to the fragmented and conflict-ridden history of Europe.

总而言之，中国能够将一个面积堪比大陆的国家凝聚在一起，可以归功于中央治理、文化同质性、地理屏障和历史连续性。这些因素都有助于中国应对挑战，在数千年的时间里保持了团结统一，而欧洲的历史则支离破碎、冲突不断。

Hydrawish

There was a great man named YingZheng, who has united China for the first time. He’s also known as QinShiHuang, aka the first Emperor ever. His empire didn’t last long, after his death, there’s uprising all over the empire. But he made something. He has unified Chinese language(written form) and measurement. Measurement is not the most important thing, the language is. We share the same world ever after.

And for Europe, they got Byzantine there, who has blocked most of the attack from east, and though they have unified religion, but their language and culture are not combining.

中国有一个伟大的人物嬴政，他第一次统一了中国。他被称为秦始皇，也就是中国历史上第一位皇帝。但他建立的帝国没能维持多久，他死后帝国各地爆发起义。但他还是有所成就的，他统一了中国的语言(文字)和度量衡，其中度量衡不是最重要的，文字才是最重要的。从那之后，我们开始共享同一个世界。

对于欧洲来说，拜占庭帝国阻挡了大部分来自东方的进攻，虽然他们有统一的宗教，但他们的语言和文化并没有融合。

Robin Matthews

It’s not the question of course but I think it’s worth saying that europe’s fragmentation has had positive outcomes - over the years we have had plenty of wars but these wars and the competition that has gone with them has been a crucial driver for technological advancement which a big state like china hasn’t seen since the Tang Dynasty 1400 years ago.

这当然不是问题，但我认为值得一提的是，欧洲的分裂也有积极的后果—多年来我们经历了很多战争，但这些战争和随之而来的竞争正是科技进步的关键驱动力，而这是中国这样的大国自1400年前的盛唐至今从未见过的。

Equally the fragmentation of Europe has led to competition of ideas and it’s no accident that the current ideology which holds china together - Marxsm - was invented in Europe. Both Marx and Engels were able to spend time in the UK thinking and writing and enjoying a great deal of freedom - Marx moves to London because of police harassment in cologne germany! In china philosophers or thinkers who have fallen out with emperors and rulers have tended to kill thenselves or to live sadly amongst “barbarians”.

同样，欧洲的分裂促成了思想的竞争，而当前将中国团结在一起的意识形态—主义—正是在欧洲出现的，这绝非偶然。和恩格斯都能在英国花时间思考和写作，享受很大的自由—搬到伦敦是因为遭受了德国科隆警察的骚扰！但在中国，跟皇帝决裂的哲学家或思想家多数都只能选择自杀或在“野蛮人”中痛苦度日。

So don’t knock fragmentation - it can be messy - but our strength in Europe is based on it - and I’d argue the sheer diversity and wonderfulness of Europe is based on fragmentation and difference.

所以不要抨击分裂—它也许是会带来混乱—但我们欧洲的影响力也正是建立在其基础上—我认为欧洲的多样性和精彩是建立在分裂和差异的基础上的。

Duncan Cairncross

It’s all about Geography

China is essentially a large flat plain with a number of large river systems

The rivers provide good transportation

这都是因为地理因素

中国是一个拥有多个庞大水系的大平原

河流为人们提供了很好的交通运输

（原文配图，注：台湾是中国领土一部分）

Europe is a mess in comparison

相比之下，欧洲则是一团糟

Lots of large peninsulas with mountain ranges as well as seas separating them

China could be conquered and made into a single country - and when it did split up it could be remade

Europe was simply too broken up - with too many barriers

Rome managed to get most of Europe under one rule

山脉和海洋将许多半岛隔离开来

中国也会被征服，成为单一国家—但当它四分五裂时，它也能重新实现统一

但欧洲真的太分裂了—屏障实在太多了

罗马曾经成功地将欧洲的大部分地区归拢在同一个统治之下

But after Rome fell nobody else managed to do as much

但在罗马沦陷后，再也没有人能做到这一点

Henry Wu

Let me contribute something different from (might still be ultimately related to) the geopolitics theory, and, being Chinese, I’ll be mainly discussing from the Chinese perspective.

我可以说点和地缘政治理论不同的东西(最终可能还是和地缘政治理论有关)，作为中国人，我主要会从中国人的角度进行讨论。

China has hardly been a nationalism country (in this sense similar with the US) - the idea of China might be the same as that of France/Germany, but the idea of Chinese (or the major Han group) is no equivalent to French/Germans; and

The dynasties of China were never truly run by any well-developed legal system as the Romans did, but by a set of abstract yet deeply-rooted moral values (礼).

中国几乎从来都不是民族主义国家(在这个意义上和美国类似)—中国的概念可能与法国/德国相同，但中国人（或主要的汉族人）的概念与法国/德国不同；而且

中国的朝代从来没有像罗马那样真的依靠完善的法律体系来运行，中国是通过抽象但根深蒂固的道德价值观来运行的(礼)。

I know, even me, being Chinese, sense a bit of self-centred heaven dynasty smell. One must understand that, however, that was the age when this “way” was dominating the eastern Asian region and proved to be so effective in running (prospering and stabilising) a vast agricultural society and therefore one was easily inclined to take this sense of supremacy as granted.

Then the history has witnessed various ethnic groups kept being absorbed into the Chinese (Han) group and have become Han(ised)(汉化).

我知道，即便是我，身为中国人，也能感觉到以自我为中心的天朝上国的优越感。但人们必须明白，在那个时代，这种“方式”统治着东亚地区，在管理(繁荣和稳定)一个庞大的农业社会方面非常有效，因此，人们很容易将这种优越感视为理所当然。

然后，历史见证了各个民族不断被吸收同化到中国(汉族)群体中，并实现了汉化。

To name a few, Southern iongnu (匈奴 ethnics, arguably the ancestry of Hun), Reform (Han-isation) by Emperor iaowen of Northern Wei (ianbei 鲜卑 ethnics), and the better known Jurchen in(金) and Da Qing(大清) - one of the very few who still keeps the ethnic group title of Manchu(满族) but stays pretty comfortable with being Chinese.

举几个例子，南匈奴(匈奴民族，可以说是匈奴的祖先)，北魏孝文帝(鲜卑族)的汉化，以及知名度更高的女真(金)和大清—少数几个仍然保留满族称号但对自己的中国人身份十分认同的民族。

This is mainly how the identity of Chinese and geographical idea of China have been established - Chinese, historically, really didn’t bother signing any sort of peace treaty and designating any border, which partly explains the many border disputes in east Asia these days.

To conclude, it is the values and the acceptance of those values that keep China unified, that keep the Chinese believing that, despite of the thousands of civil wars, Under Heaven is One (天下本为一家) and unification is norm whereas division is not(quote Liang Qichao).

中国人的身份认同感和中国的地理概念就是这样建立起来的—中国人在历史上，真的懒得签署任何形式的和平条约、勘定边界，这也在一定程度上解释了东亚许多边界争端的由来。

总而言之，正是这些价值观让中国保持了统一，中国人因此相信，虽然经历了数千次内战，但天下大同(天下本为一家)，统一是常态，分裂只是偶然(引用梁启超的话)。