Zhongyuan

Zhongyuan (Chinese: 中原; pinyin: Zhōngyuán), Chungyuan in Wade–Giles, or the Central Plain, also known as Zhongtu or Chungtu (Chinese: 中土; pinyin: Zhōngtǔ, lit. Central Land), and Zhongzhou or Chungchou (Chinese: 中州; pinyin: Zhōngzhōu, lit. Central State), is the area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization. It forms part of the North China Plain.

Zhongyuan 中原 Central Plain
Map showing the province of Henan and two definitions of the Central Plain or Zhongyuan
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Henan
Major Cities	Zhengzhou Luoyang Kaifeng Xinxiang
Population
• Metro	~24,170,000

In its narrowest sense, the Central Plain covers modern-day Henan, the southern part of Hebei, the southern part of Shanxi, and the western part of Shandong province. A broader interpretation of the Central Plain's extent would add the Guanzhong plain of Shaanxi, the northwestern part of Jiangsu, and parts of Anhui and northern Hubei.

Since the beginning of recorded history, the Central Plain has been an important site for Chinese civilization.

In the pre-Qin era, present-day Luoyang and its nearby areas were considered the “Center of the World”, as the political seat of the Xia dynasty was located around Songshan and the Yi-Luo river basin.

Inscriptions on some bronze objects from this era contain references to the 'Central States' (Zhongguo), 'Eastern States', or 'Southern States'. This indicates that the Central Plain, which was referred to as the 'Central States' in these inscriptions, was considered to occupy the center of the world.

In a broader context, the term Zhongyuan refers to Chinese civilization and China proper, regions directly governed by centralized Chinese governments and dynasties. However, when used to describe the Chinese civilization, Zhongyuan often connotes Huaxia and Han cultural dominance.

The Dungans, who are Chinese descendants of Hui ethnicity residing in Central Asia and Russia, are believed to have emigrated from Zhongyuan.