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Re-evaluating Huai River Culture as an Axial Civilizational Core in Ancient China

Author(s)

Xiaoyan Li1,2, Wei Chen1,*, Ruonan Wang3, Jingjing Zhang1,2, Jia Zhang1

Affiliation(s)

1School of Foreign Languages, Bengbu University, Bengbu, Anhui, China 2School of Education, Hefei University, Hefei, Anhui, China 3Xidian University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China *Corresponding author

Abstract

This paper repositions the Huai River as a central axis in the development of Chinese civilization, challenging traditional narratives that emphasize the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. By examining the Huai River basin’s strategic role in bridging the cultural and political divide between northern and southern China, the study highlights its significance in early sociopolitical integration, ritual systems, and interethnic interactions. Using a multidisciplinary approach that integrates archaeology, historiography, and cultural studies, the paper explores the Huai River’s function as a dynamic cultural corridor. Drawing on comparative flood myths, it contrasts the Western narrative of Noah’s Ark with China’s legend of Yu the Great, whose flood control was marked by governance and coordination rather than escape. This analysis reflects a broader civilizational preference for adaptation over evasion. The findings call for a more inclusive axial framework, positioning the Huai River not merely as a geographic feature but as a pivotal cultural and civilizational axis that shaped the evolution of Chinese identity and governance.

Keywords

Huai River Culture; Chinese Civilization; Yu the Great; Flood Myths; Cultural Integration; North-South Axis; Archaeological History

References

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