Grand Unity
The term "grand unity" comes from the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, where the word "grand" was originally used to highlight the importance of "respecting" unity. The term was used to emphasize the need to uphold the authority of the monarch in order to safeguard stability and the political order, and the need for the ruler to refrain from acting recklessly and respect the natural laws to secure the legitimacy of his rule. The term also emphasized that all Chinese territories must fall under the jurisdiction of a unified central government.
The concept of "grand unity" built on the governance theories and political goals of feudal rulers, and informed ancient China's political philosophy and culture. This idea guided the development of the Chinese nation towards a unified multi-eth- nic community. Qinshihuang (259-210 B.C.), the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.), unified China into a centralized state divided into commanderies and counties, a move that prepared the ground for ancient China's basic political structure, placing China on track to become a unified multi-eth- nic state. From that point on every ruler of the Central Plains, regardless of their ethnic origin, took on the responsibility of protecting the unity of the entire country and claimed to be the true guardian of the Chinese traditions and culture. This continuity helped cement the concept of "grand unity" in the national psyche. The way the Han (206 B.C. - A.D. 220), Tang (618-907), Yuan (1206-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1616-1911) dynasties ruled typically reflects the idea of "grand unity". History has repeatedly shown that "grand unity" begets prosperity, peace, stability, and happiness.
"Grand unity" emphasized territorial unity, respect for the authority of the central government, and cultural cohesion. Ancient China did go through multiple periods of division, but they always culminated in reunification, mainly thanks to the role the concept of grand unity played in shaping the Chinese identity built into the Chinese people's historical and cultural consciousness. The long-standing tradition of grand unity gave the central government strong planning and coordination capabilities to optimize the allocation of personnel, resources, and materials across the vast territory, gradually making China a super large and inclusive community that embraced diversity and enjoyed stability.
大一统
“大一统”出自《春秋公羊传》。“大”原指“尊崇”。“大一统”原意强调王者的权威，进而形成维护政治秩序稳定的向心力，同时，王者并不能恣意妄为，必须遵循天道的约束，才能获得统治的合法性。此外，“大一统”还强调中国的疆域版图范围须纳入统一的中央政府管辖之下。
“大一统”思想阐发了封建统治者的治理理念和政治追求，成为贯穿中国古代政治格局和思想文化的一条主线，深刻影响了中华民族共同体发展路向和中华民族多元一体演进格局。秦始皇（前259—前210）建立了第一个郡县制的大一统国家，奠定了中国古代政治的基本架构，开启了中国统一的多民族国家发展历程。此后，无论哪个民族入主中原， 都以统一天下为己任，以中华文化的正统自居，深化了六合同风、四海一家的大一统传统。汉、唐、元、明、清是比较
典型的大一统王朝。历史多次证明，只要中国维持“大一统”的局面，国家就能够强盛、安宁、稳定，人民就会幸福安康。大一统传统追求疆域领土的统一，推崇中央政府的权威，注重文化共识的凝聚。古代中国尽管经历多次分裂，但总能重新统一，主要原因就在于大一统观念塑造了中国人对 “中国”的历史文化认同。漫长的大一统传统锻造出中央政府在各个地区间强有力的统筹协调能力，能够在广袤疆域内 对各种人财物资源进行最大限度的优化配置，推动中国逐渐 成为一个兼具多样性、包容性、稳定性的超大规模共同体。