Wang Zhenzhong

　　School of Qi-Lu Culture, Shandong Normal University

　　Abstract:The nation can be broken down into two categories: “ancient nations” and “modern nations.” The ancient Huaxia nation went through two phases in the course of its formation: the self-existent nation and the self-aware nation. The reason the self-existent Huaxia nation1 arose in the Xia and Shang period lies in its unified yet diverse composite state structure that could encompass a variety of buzu within the framework of a dynastic state. The pre-Xia Five Emperors period saw the genesis of the Huaxia nation. During this period, different buzu states were cemented into a diverse yet unified nation-state through a confederation of chiefdoms.

　　Keywords: Huaxia nation, confederation of chiefdoms, composite state structure