Values are what people believe as moral qualities like love, kindness, and many others. People also believe that values are acceptable behaviour that individuals have in a society. An idea is something like a thought that exists in the minds of people. It can be a new idea or a borrowed idea.
Evolution of the early Chinese civilization
Chinese civilization grew geographically and gradually turning many people into Chinese. This happened through assimilation and intermarriages. Consideration for Chinese culture is that it is single, coherent, and an unbroken nation for people although it evolved over 500,000 years ago. There were many foreign people who occupied the Chinese mainland, but the Chinese people did not lose their culture. The ancient civilization, Mesopotamia and Chinese had many similarities. Chinese civilization originated from the city-sites in the Yellow River Valley.
Adoption of the Chinese civilization in Japan and Korea
Other cultures started imitating the Chinese cultures since their civilisation had marvellous technological and economical innovations. Japan and Korea are one of the cultures that imitated Chinese civilization. An attempted introduction of Chinese culture into Japan ended up in the resistance from aristocracy. This happened when Tiaka reforms tried to change the Japanese rule into the Chinese style. Japanese borrowing from Chinese culture occurred during Tiaka, Hera, and Heian periods.
The aristocracies then returned to their traditions after absorbing the Chinese influences. Despite the rejection, Japanese went back to their country with a wide range of ideas, instructions, and institutional imports from the mainland of China. They used all these to create their own civilization. This helped to raise the economy of Japan. The new ides and culture were then spread to the main regions of the country. Japan also adapted the language and writing system.
Trading between China and Japan became easy since they used a common language. This made the Japanese become more intelligent and build a more centralized political system. The Chinese influences brought changes to courts and worship places in Japan. Therefore, Japan was able to develop a unique civilization from a blend culture of their own because of these new influences. The style of adopting Chinese civilization was different from other countries. Chinese civilization in other parts of the world was mostly through war while some of them resisted it wholly.
Korea also benefited in borrowing the Chinese civilization during any interactions like trade. The location of Korea was between the two strong cities and this enabled it to benefit from them. This contributed to the development and its richness through civilization. Korea’s location led to easy interchanging with China and Japan. They imported innovations and achievements of Chinese civilization. They then spread them to Japan.
The most challenging thing was to tolerate the expansion of powers from east and west. This was because of Korea’s geographical condition. Korea had to maintain its independence in the face of the expanding empire of China. The culture for Korea was a mix of traditions. It was a mixture of Korean and the new ideas borrowed from Chinese civilisation. For example, Korea received a high influence from China in the area of technology like in Agriculture.
Also, there was a change in the Korea’s religion during their first connection with China. They borrowed knowledge in areas of medicine and literature. Korea adopted the style of writing and speaking from the Chinese civilization. Politics is another area that the Chinese influence is clearly visible. It changed the Korean politics to become centralized. China played a significant role in the giving Koreans new ideas like in trading. Chinese civilization was, therefore, of substantial help to the Koreans and Japanese.
Imperialism
It is creating and maintaining an unequal economic, political, and territorial association, which is usually in a form of an empire based on domination and subordination. It is present in history of Chinese Empire, Persian Empire, Roman Empire and many others. The term “Age of Imperialism” refers to the practices that France, Germany, Italy, Japan and other countries were involved in. For example, the scrambling for Africa. Imperialism reflects now to what is observable in imperial policies in, Belgiam, Britain, Africa, and others. It does not refer to colonial territories only, but also to economic and military dominance, and influence.
Europe’s expansion of imperialism was in combination with assuming political control mostly by military means. A great contribution to formal theories of imperialism was by the European intellectuals.
Before Industrial Revolution, oriental goods were the driving force for European’s imperialism. There was an increase in the scramble for raw materials from Asia as a result of industrialism. In addition, there was a scramble for European’s new market for the industrial products. This resulted to World war I and World war II. Conflicts were involving European power with that of Russia and the rising power of Japanese and American powers. It continued affecting the economy and the politics of their former colonies.
Blending and adaptation of ideas and values in East Asia
Asia Humanities expose students to cultural and literature movements in Japan from a long time ago to today. It also emphasizes on the relationship of literature and culture and tradition.
Chinese civilization helped in shaping cultures in some societies. For example, a new writing system and a new method of trading. Also, it helps a country in adopting technology which improves operation of some tasks like better methods of irrigation. Japanese and Koreans were able to learn industrialization which led to raising the economy when it was put into practice. For example, industries to manufacture electrical appliances that would be used to do a lot of work which leads to less required labour. Government also improved in its political part since it changed to a centralized one. This is a course that gives intelligence, and creativity to individual involved in civilization.
Introduction of Buddhism in religion changed people’s beliefs in gods. This was a negative way of praying many gods. There was a high spread of the introduced religion in the country or the neighbouring countries.
The core of shared East Asia civilization
Japan, Korea, and China share most of their culture. The main origin for this culture is China. After the Chinese civilisation, these two countries stuck to the culture since it improved their way of living. Sharing of Japanese culture is among the three countries due to its advantages to them. Also, there is sharing of their culture because of how beneficial they are to the other countries.
These three countries share industries as a result of trading of things like clothes, electrical appliances, food, and others. Shared culture becomes part of people’s life since most of them found it when they were born.