Chinese Influences

China affected Asian countries culturally, socially and politically. Korea, Vietnam and Japan are the typical nations of Chinese influences. Chinese moral ethics, ideal roles of women and the government system considerably impacted those countries. Even so, among these countries, they developed their own unique aspect to some varying degrees. First of all, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese authorities respectively emphasized Confucianism through education. For example, Confucian-based schools were established in Korea and Vietnam.

In spite of those schools, Korean students studied Confucianism in China. Japanese students were also taken to China for learning Confucianism by Shotoku Taishi, a leading member of a major clan. After visiting China, he issued the “Seventh Article Constitution. ” Taishi encouraged practicing Confucianism in Japan. Nevertheless, when the Japanese came up with samurai that emphasized bushido or the way of the warrior, they valued warriors rather than scholars whom Confucianism valued. Second, while Korean women had limited roles as Chinese women, Vietnamese and Japanese women had unbounded roles.

Confucius highlighted women as subordinate characters to men. Therefore, as Confucian-influenced countries, they were expected to have limited roles of women. In fact, Korea was the only one in which restricted wide social activity of women. Korean women formerly raised her children at her parents’ home, but after adapting to Confucianism, she belonged to husbands’ family and raised her children at her parents-in-law’s houses. On the other hand, Vietnamese women had wide sphere of social and economic activities. Also, Japanese women were not restricted.

They were able to inherit properties and live with her parents’ house when they were married. Most importantly, Vietnam, Japan and Korea borrowed the Chinese government system although Japanese developed their own in the later years. Vietnam was under Chinese rule for more than 1,000 years and the Chinese officials tried to assimilate into China. Korea is located right under the northeast of China. Therefore, there were a lot of political influences. For example, in the 7th century, the Silla Kingdom united the peninsula with help of Tang dynasty.

Chinese tried to control and assimilate Korea. Chinese intervention led Trung sisters’ uprising in Vietnam and military resistance in Korea. Vietnam was able to establish as an independent state in the 10th century and China withdrew military in Korea. Whereas Japan, it was never invaded and conquered by China. It is 100 miles away from the mainland. Hence, Chinese influences were not significant. They did borrow Chinese political system. Then again, the Japanese government was decentralized and came up with feudal system and samurai.