What is Zhongyuan?
{{Infobox settlement | name = {{raise|0.2em|Zhongyuan}} | native_name = {{lower|0.1em|{{nobold|{{lang|zh|中原}}}}}} | other_name = Central Plain | image_skyline = | image_map = Zhongyuan map.png | image_caption = | map_caption = Map showing the province of Henan and two definitions of the Central Plain or Zhongyuan | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[China]] | subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of China|Province]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Henan]] | subdivision_type2 = Major Cities | subdivision_name2 = [[Zhengzhou]]<br />[[Luoyang]]<br />[[Kaifeng]]<br />[[Xinxiang]] | population_metro = ~24,170,000 | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | population_total = | population_note = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | official_name = }} '''Zhongyuan''' ({{Lang-zh|c=中原|p=|s=|t=}}) or the '''Central Plains''' are [[plain]]s in the middle of China. It is southwest of [[Beijing]]. The [[Yellow River]] goes through it. It is where [[Chinese civilization]] originated from. It is part of the [[North China Plain]]. Since the beginning of recorded history, the Central Plain had central importance to the Middle Kingdom (China 中国). It was considered the “[[Sinocentrism|Center of the World]]”. It was the capital of the [[Xia dynasty]]. The earliest Chinese writing, the [[Jiahu symbols]] and [[Jiagu writing]] came from here. ''Zhongyuan'' is sometimes used to refer to all of Chinese civilization. [[Category:Plains]] [[Category:Geography of the People's Republic of China]]