How did Chinese people refer to themselves before China was a nation?

The term "Zhongguoren" (中国人) has been used by Chinese people to refer to themselves for over 2,000 years. It literally means "people of the Central Kingdom", reflecting China's traditional view of itself as the center of the world. This term was first used in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BCE) and became increasingly common during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). It is still the most commonly used term for Chinese people today.

Huaxia

The term "Huaxia" (华夏) is another ancient term that has been used to refer to Chinese people. It is believed to have originated from the Yellow River Basin, where the Chinese civilization first developed. The term "Huaxia" was often used in contrast to "yi" (夷), which referred to non-Chinese people. Today, the term "Huaxia" is still sometimes used to refer to Chinese culture or civilization, but it is not as commonly used as "Zhongguoren".

Zhonghua

The term "Zhonghua" (中华) is a relatively modern term that has been used to refer to China and Chinese people since the late 19th century. It is a combination of the characters "zhong" (中), meaning "central", and "hua" (华), meaning "flowery" or "beautiful". The term "Zhonghua" was first used by Chinese nationalists during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) and became increasingly popular after the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. Today, the term "Zhonghua" is commonly used to refer to China, the Chinese nation, and Chinese culture.