Zhongyuan (Chinese: 中原; pinyin: Zhōngyuán), also known as the Central Plain, is a region of the North China Plain surrounding the lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River. It is centered on the area between Luoyang and Kaifeng in present-day Henan province. The name is also rendered as Zhongtu (中土, "central land") and Zhongzhou (中州, "central region"), and was formerly romanized as Chungyuan.
The region is widely regarded as the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Human activity in Zhongyuan can be traced back to the Palaeolithic period. Historically, the Huaxia people perceived Zhongyuan as "the center of the world," a view reflected in the region's names, which all denote a central position.
Zhongyuan is not a single city but a broader cultural and historical region of central China, defined chiefly by its position along the Yellow River and its role in early Chinese history.