Xu Hong Where did the word "China" (Zhongguo中国, the Central State) come from, and why was this hinterland named "Central State"? This book retraces the origins of China. It provides readers with a timeline, and tells the stories that happened in the central plain (the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River) around 2000 B.C. Through analysis of the rise and fall of Taosi, Songshan Cultures, the rise of Xinzhai Site and so on, which finally leads to the study of Erlitou Site and culture, the author deconstructs the birth of the Xia Dynasty, which was the first dynasty of China, and reconstructs the formation of the prehistoric and protohistoric China.