The Origin and Evolution of China's Names

This book is a two-volume set that discusses the names of China, including the country's official titles throughout history, domestic self-names, and foreign names in ancient and modern times.

Using interdisciplinary approaches from fields such as history, geography, ethnic studies, linguistics, psychology and toponymy, this two-volume set examines the origin and evolution of China's names throughout its more than 4,000-year history. The first volume examines the official names of the country given by the rulers or the government, including the names of the imperial dynasties, from the earliest Xia to the last Qing, and the title of the Republic of China, which symbolises a new era in national naming. The second volume explores the complex reasons for the emergence and evolution of self-names that were used domestically regardless of political regime change, such as Zhongguo, Zhonghua, Jiuzhou and Sihai. It also discusses the origin, development, use and popularity of foreign names for China, such as China, Serice, Taugas, Cathay and those associated with Han, Tang, the dragon and the lion.

This book will appeal to both academic and general readers interested in Chinese history, Chinese historical geography and Chinese toponymy.

HU A-Xiang is Professor and Ph.D. supervisor at the School of History, Nanjing University, China. His primary research interests lie in Chinese history, Chinese historical geography, and Chinese toponymy.