á ▁( /, ▁" central ▁beauty "), ▁Hu á xi à ▁( /, ▁" be aut iful ▁grand ness "), ▁Sh én zh ō u ▁( , ▁" div ine ▁state ") ▁and ▁Ji ǔ zh ō u ▁( , ▁" n ine ▁states "). ▁H àn ▁( /) ▁and ▁T á ng ▁() ▁are ▁common ▁names ▁given ▁for ▁the ▁Chinese ▁eth nic ity . ▁The ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁() ▁and ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁() ▁are ▁the ▁official ▁names ▁for ▁the ▁two ▁contemporary ▁so ver eign ▁states ▁currently ▁claim ing ▁so vere ig nt y ▁over ▁the ▁traditional ▁area ▁of ▁China . ▁" Main land ▁China " ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁areas ▁under ▁the ▁juris diction ▁by ▁the ▁P RC ▁usually ▁ex cluding ▁Hong ▁Kong , ▁Taiwan ▁and ▁Mac au . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁names ▁for ▁China ▁that ▁are ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁languages ▁of ▁other ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁other ▁than ▁the ▁Han ; ▁examples ▁include ▁" C ath ay " ▁from ▁the ▁Kh itan ▁language ▁and ▁" Tab g ach " ▁from ▁Tu oba . ▁ ▁S init ic ▁names ▁ ▁Zh ong gu o ▁ ▁Pre - Q ing ▁ ▁Zh ō ng gu ó ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁s init ic ▁name ▁for ▁China ▁in ▁modern ▁times . ▁The ▁first ▁appearance ▁of ▁ ▁on ▁an ▁artifact ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁Z hou ▁on ▁a ▁rit ual ▁vessel ▁known ▁as ▁He ▁z un . ▁It ▁is ▁formed ▁by ▁combining ▁the ▁characters ▁z h ō ng ▁() ▁meaning