the symbol originates in a natural and universal psychological perception: that the spot one occupies stands at "the center of the world". this space serves as a microcosm of order because it is known and settled. outside the boundaries of the microcosm lie foreign realms that, because they are unfamiliar or not ordered, represent chaos, death or night. from the center one may still venture in any of the four cardinal directions, make discoveries, and establish new centers as new realms become known and settled. the name of china, meaning "middle nation" ( pinyin: ""), is often interpreted as an expression of an ancient perception that the chinese polity (or group of polities) occupied the center of the world, with other lands lying in various directions relative to it.