Why did Chinese call they self the middle kingdom?

Answer 1

Because North of China is the Mongolian steppes, in the South is the deep forests in Viet Nam, in the East it is ocean, and in the West it's the Tibetan Plateau. It is hard not to belive that where they lived is the "middle" of the world.

Answer 2

It is a traditional translation of China's common name, Zhōngguó (simplified Chinese: 中国; traditional Chinese: 中國)

This is because Zhongguo, which can be either singular or plural, refers to the group of states in the central plain. The Chinese regarded their country as "central".

Answer 3

Because they were between natural barriers like mountains, deserts, the ocean, and forests. They also thought they were important.

Answer 4

Because China thought they were the most important during the time.