The historical evolution of the "great unification" pattern and the formation of the community of the Chinese nation

As the core concept of ancient Chinese political civilization, "great unification" has profoundly shaped the historical formation trajectory of the community of the Chinese nation. During the Qin and Han dynasties, with the establishment of the centralized system and Confucianism being enshrined as the official orthodox ideology, "great unification" gained a solid foundation both institutionally and ideologically. After hundreds of years of division in the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties, the Sui and Tang dynasties reunified the country once again, and the concept of "All ethnic groups within China form an integrated community" gradually took root in the hearts of the people, bringing ethnic interaction and integration into a new stage. By the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, territorial integration reached perfection, the "great unification" system became stereotyped, and the territorial outline of modern China was basically established during this period. Retracing the above evolutionary context, it can be found that the connotation of "great unification" has evolved from geographical integration to ethnic identity and cultural centripetal force, ultimately condensing into a spiritual bond maintaining the Chinese nation.