The Cultural representation of Luoyang in the Pre-Qin Period ―Symbol of the center of the world―

摘要

In the long history of China, Qin has a significant meaning. The time from unrecorded history to B.C. 221 is called the pre-Qin period. One cannot speak of the antiquity of the pre-Qin period in China without touching on the history and culture of the area around Luoyang. The cultural representation of Luoyang as a capitol came to symbolize the center of the world in the pre-Qin period. The author will analyze the causes why Luoyang became the central place of China. The reasons lie in its geography and political interests.The area around Luoyang is a basin plain, and it is a birthplace of Chinese civilization. Zhou Dynasty built a capital in Luoyang as a center of the world. It is the beginning of the image of Luoyang had been a place which symbolizes advanced civilization and the legitimate dynasty or culture during the Pre-Qin Period.The influence continued for many centuries and many dynasties established their capital here. Luoyang is always at the core history of China, and it is regarded as a key origin of ancient Chinese civilization. So the cultural representation of Luoyang is not just about a city's history, it also reflects the entire culture of China. Its process should be verified with documentation, and this paper is the first step.