China has recently been placing emphasis on the concept of the ‘Chinese national community(中華民族共同體)’ as a means to strengthen internal solidarity. This term encompasses not only the Han Chinese(漢族) but also various ethnic minorities(小數民族) within China, highlighting the amalgamation of different ethnic groups through exchange and assimilation. It underscores the collective identity of the Chinese nation (中華民族), portraying all ethnic groups in China as sharing a common history and culture.
In pursuit of realizing the Chinese Dream (中國夢), China emphasizes the importance of overcoming challenges and obstacles through unified action, solidifying the sense of a Chinese national community.
Ethnological and archaeological studies provide tangible evidence supporting the existence of the ‘Chinese national community. In the field of ethnic studies, the Chinese nation is conceived as a ‘state-nation (國族),’ with its constituent people groups categorized as ‘nation (民族)’ or ‘ethnic group (族群)’ for theoretical clarity. In archaeology, efforts are made to demonstrate, through visible material evidence, the presence of a culture characterized by pluralistic integration (多元一體) since prehistoric times.
This article examines the evolution of the concept from the ‘Chinese Nation’ to the ‘Chinese National Community,’ analyzing how China has systematized and materialized it through the fields of ethnology and archaeology.