The Honil Gangni Yeokdae Gukdo Ji Do ("Map of Integrated Lands and Regions of Historical Countries and Capitals (of China)"), often abbreviated as Kangnido , is a world map completed by the Korean scholars Kwon Kun and Yi Hoe in 1402, during the Joseon dynasty .
89-596: It is notably the oldest extant Korean world map, with two known copies that are both currently located in Japan. It is also one of the oldest surviving world maps from East Asia , along with the Chinese Da Ming Hunyi Tu (ca. 1398), which the Kangido is theorized to share at least one source with. Both were revised after their production, making their original form uncertain. Still, the surviving copies of
178-571: A style name , is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere , particularly in China , Japan , Korea , and Vietnam . Courtesy names are a marker of adulthood and were historically given to men at the age of 20, and sometimes to women upon marriage. Unlike art names , which are more akin to pseudonyms or pen names , courtesy names served
267-573: A European one. Its hegemony was the heart of an empire that would include Taiwan and Korea . During World War II, Japanese expansionism with its imperialist aspirations through the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere would incorporate Korea, Taiwan, much of eastern China and Manchuria, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia under its control establishing itself as a maritime colonial power in East Asia. After
356-511: A century of exploitation by the European and Japanese colonialists, post-colonial East Asia saw the defeat and occupation of Japan by the victorious Allies as well as the division of China and Korea during the Cold War . The Korean peninsula became independent but then it was divided into two rival states , while Taiwan became the main territory of de facto state Republic of China after
445-555: A civil war, the new emperor banned the use of the era name Jianwen in the 10th month of 1402. Thus the map should have used the era name Hongwu , not Jianwen . However, the era name Jianwen can be found even on the later Ryūkoku and Honkōji copies. This suggests that the Kangnido was never disclosed to the Chinese. This map demonstrates the cartographic stagnation in the post-Mongol era. The maps of common use were transformed into
534-630: A clear shape but is not blackened unlike other sea areas. The Maghreb and the Iberian peninsula are depicted in detail while Genoa and Venice are omitted. There are over 100 names for the European countries alone, including "Alumangia" for the Latin word Alemania ( Germany ). The Hunyi Jiangli Tu by Zen monk Qingjun (1328–1392) was one of historical maps that were popular among Chinese literati. It showed historical capitals of Chinese dynasties in addition to contemporary place names. For example, it shows
623-450: A common writing system reflected in the histories of Japan and Korea . The Imperial Chinese tributary system was the bedrock of network of trade and foreign relations between China and its East Asian tributaries, which helped to shape much of East Asian affairs during the ancient and medieval eras. Through the tributary system, the various dynasties of Imperial China facilitated frequent economic and cultural exchange that influenced
712-472: A formal and respectful purpose. In traditional Chinese society, using someone’s given name in adulthood was considered disrespectful among peers, making courtesy names essential for formal communication and writing. Courtesy names often reflect the meaning of the given name or use homophonic characters, and were typically disyllabic after the Qin dynasty . The practice also extended to other East Asian cultures, and
801-474: A historical setting of the Mongol Empire , which connected the western Islamic world with the Chinese sphere. The Mongol Empire demonstrated the conquest of the world by publishing treatises on geography and world maps. Their attempt enabled the integration of Islamic science and traditional Chinese knowledge. Note that the Chinese source maps were of "consumer use." In other words, they were not created by
890-491: A measurable increase in the frequency and severity of heatwaves . The region is also expected to see the intensification of its monsoon, leading to more flooding. China has notably embarked on the sponge cities program, where cities are designed to increase the area of urban green spaces and permeable pavings in order to help deal with flash floods caused by greater precipitation extremes. Under high-warming scenarios, "critical health thresholds" for heat stress during
979-650: A set of three islands that lie from east to west. They would be influenced by the legend of Xu Fu . According to the Records of the Grand Historian , Xu Fu claimed that there were three divine mountains in the sea and went to one of the mountain-islands, which were later believed to be Japan. Japan is shown in better shape on the Ryūkoku copy than on traditional Chinese maps, but is rotated by 90 degrees. This drew attention from scholars and some even associated it with
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#17327731475181068-608: A shared written language, a shared culture, and a shared Confucian societal value system (involving shared Confucian philosophical tenets) once instituted by Imperial China. Other usages define China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan as countries that constitute East Asia based on their geographic proximity as well as historical and modern cultural and economic ties, particularly with Japan and Korea in having retained strong cultural influences that originated from China. Some scholars include Vietnam as part of East Asia as it has been considered part of
1157-599: A symbol of national prestige and overshadowed by secrecy. As the extant copies show, Korean officials regularly updated the map by conducting land surveys and collecting maps from surrounding countries. Geographic information about the West was, however, not updated until the introduction of European knowledge in the 16–17th centuries. East Asia East Asia is a geographical and cultural region of Asia including China , Japan , Mongolia , North Korea , South Korea , and Taiwan . Additionally, Hong Kong and Macau are
1246-414: Is a key map for reconstructing the content of Li's world map. Other extant maps considered to be based on Li's map are: There are possible literary references to Li's world map. An important clue is provided by Wu Sidao's (烏斯道) anthology titled Chuncaozhai Ji (春草齋集), where Wu stated that he had merged a map named Guanglun Tu (廣輪圖) and Li Rulin's (李汝霖) Shengjiao Beihua Tu (聲教被化圖). Although his own map
1335-433: Is more plausible that these maps came to Korea in different times since Gwon Geun's preface implies that Korean officials picked out the two maps for their excellency from among various sources, maybe including Wu Sidao's combined map. Japanese scholar Miya Noriko presumes that the year 1402 was a landmark for the reigning King Taejong of the newly founded Joseon dynasty. After a bloody succession struggle, Taejong ascended to
1424-442: Is not clear how Korea was depicted on Li's map since Korea is out of the range of the extant derivative (southern half of the original). The modified version of Qingjun's map provides a relatively proper shape of Korea though place names presented there are those of the preceding Goryeo dynasty. Note that, according to Gwon Geun, Korea was intentionally oversized (for practical reasons). The two original Chinese maps portray Japan as
1513-531: Is not clear when the copy was brought to Japan. One claims that it was purchased by Ōtani Kōzui and others assume that it was looted during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) (1592–1598) and given to the West Honganji temple by Toyotomi Hideyoshi . It contains some place names of Korea that are newer than 1402, suggesting that the Ryūkoku copy was partially modified from the 1402 original around
1602-595: Is not known today, Wu seems to have referred to Li's map concerned because the Shengjiao Beihua Tu would be an alias for Shengjiao Guangbei Tu (聲教廣被圖) and Rulin appears to be Li Zemin's courtesy name . Wu stated that Li's map was newer than the Guanglun Tu (circa 1360). Based on place names on the map, earlier studies presumed that the source map had been created around 1319 and revised sometime between 1329 and 1338. However, Wu suggests that Li's map
1691-483: Is recorded in the Goryeo-sa : Na Heung-yu (羅興儒) created a historical map based on maps of China and Korea and dedicated it to King Gongmin (r. 1352–1374). Note that Gwon Geun served to the king as bichigechi (secretary). Earlier studies presumed that the two Chinese source maps had been obtained during Kim Sa-hyeong's diplomatic trip to Ming China in 1399 although there is no literary evidence for his acquisition. It
1780-517: Is sometimes grouped with Central Asian countries such as Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Xinjiang and Tibet are sometimes seen as part of Central Asia (see also Greater Central Asia ). Broader and looser definitions by international agencies and organisations such as the World Bank refer to East Asia as the "three major Northeast Asian economies, i.e. mainland China , Japan, and South Korea ", as well as Mongolia, North Korea ,
1869-498: Is usually identified as the one obtained in Japan supposedly in 1401 by Bak Donji (朴敦之), based on an article of the Sejong Sillok (the 10th month of 1438). However, Bak stayed in Japan from 1397 to 1399 as an envoy to the Ōuchi family of western Japan and therefore was not there in 1401. Japanese scholar Miya Noriko believes that the date was intentionally altered for political reasons (see below ). This map originated from
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#17327731475181958-485: Is very sparsely distributed, with Mongolia having the lowest population density of a sovereign state . The overall population density of the region is 133 inhabitants per square kilometre (340/sq mi), about three times the world average of 45/km (120/sq mi). China was the first region settled in East Asia and was undoubtedly the core of East Asian civilization from where other parts of East Asia were formed. The various other regions in East Asia were selective in
2047-587: The Book of Rites , after a man reached adulthood, it was disrespectful for others of the same generation to address him by his given name . Thus, the given name was reserved for oneself and one's elders, whereas the courtesy name would be used by adults of the same generation to refer to one another on formal occasions or in writing. Another translation of zi is "style name", but this translation has been criticised as misleading, because it could imply an official or legal title. Generally speaking, courtesy names before
2136-505: The Nara period , Japan began to aggressively import Chinese culture and styles of government which included Confucian protocol that served as a foundation for Japanese culture as well as political and social philosophy. The Japanese also created laws adopted from the Chinese legal system that was used to govern in addition to the kimono , which was inspired from Chinese hanfu during the eighth century. For many centuries, most notably from
2225-1025: The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), as well as the Pacific island of Guam , which is a member of the Oceania National Olympic Committees . It is one of five Regional Games of the OCA. The others are the Central Asian Games , the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), the South Asian Games and the West Asian Games . [REDACTED] Seoul Courtesy name A courtesy name ( Chinese : 字 ; pinyin : zì ; lit. 'character'), also known as
2314-502: The Qin dynasty were one syllable, and from the Qin to the 20th century they were mostly disyllabic , consisting of two Chinese characters . Courtesy names were often relative to the meaning of the person's given name, the relationship could be synonyms, relative affairs, or rarely but sometimes antonym. For example, Chiang Kai-shek 's given name ( 中正 , romanized as Chung-cheng) and courtesy name ( 介石 , romanized as Kai-shek) are both from
2403-620: The Russian Far East , and Siberia . The Council on Foreign Relations includes the Russia Far East, Mongolia, and Nepal . The World Bank also acknowledges the roles of Chinese special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau , as well as Taiwan , a country with limited recognition. The Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia defines the region as "China, Japan, the Koreas , Nepal, Mongolia, and eastern regions of
2492-553: The Russian Federation ". The UNSD definition of East Asia is based on statistical convenience, but others commonly use the same definition of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Certain Japanese islands are associated with Oceania due to non-continental geology, distance from mainland Asia or biogeographical similarities with Micronesia . Some groups, such as
2581-610: The World Health Organization , categorize China, Japan and Korea with Australia and the rest of Oceania. The World Health Organization label this region the "Western Pacific", with East Asia not being used in their concept of major world regions. Their definition of this region further includes Mongolia and the adjacent area of Cambodia , as well as the countries of the South East Asia Archipelago (excluding East Timor and Indonesia ). In
2670-611: The economic rise of Hong Kong , South Korea , and Taiwan , in addition to the respective handovers of Hong Kong and Macau near the end of the twentieth century. The onset of the 21st-century in East Asia led to the integration of Mainland China into the global economy through its entry in the World Trade Organization while also enhancing its emerging international status as a potential world power reinforced with its aim of restoring its historical established significance and enduring international prominence in
2759-660: The frontier regions ), 16 native to the island of Taiwan (collectively known as Taiwanese indigenous peoples ), one native to the major Japanese island of Hokkaido (the Ainu ) and four native to Mongolia ( Turkic peoples ). The Ryukyuan people are an unrecognized ethnic group indigenous to the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan, which stretch from Kyushu to Taiwan. There are also several unrecognized indigenous ethnic groups in mainland China and Taiwan. East Asians comprise around 1.7 billion people, making up about 33% of
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2848-416: The yù (豫) hexagram 16 of I Ching . Another way to form a courtesy name is to use the homophonic character zi ( 子 ) – a respectful title for a man – as the first character of the disyllabic courtesy name. Thus, for example, Gongsun Qiao 's courtesy name was Zichan ( 子產 ), and Du Fu 's was Zimei ( 子美 ). It was also common to construct a courtesy name by using as the first character one which expresses
2937-702: The "Yu Gong Jiuzhou Lidai Diwang Guodu Dili Tu" (禹貢九州歷代帝王國都地理圖; Map of Capitals of Historical Emperors and Kings in the Nine Provinces of the Yu Gong ). Although Gwon Geun did not clarify which map was utilized for Korea, it is usually identified as Yi Hoe's Paldodo (八道圖). But the original condition of the Korean portion is unclear because even the oldest Ryūkoku copy reflects the administrative situation as late as around 1470. Gwon Geun wrote that Li Zemin's map had many gaps and omissions concerning Korea. It
3026-514: The 1470s and 1480s. Another copy (Honkōji copy) was discovered in Honkōji temple of Shimabara, Nagasaki in 1988. It is 220 cm by 280 cm, much larger than the Ryūkoku copy, and painted on paper. It seems that the Honkōji copy was created in Japan during the Edo period . The place names of Korea suggest that it was revised around the 1560s. There are two copies of maps in Japan that are related to
3115-737: The 1860s. Around the same time, the Meiji Restoration in Japan sparked rapid societal transformation from an isolated feudal state into East Asia's first industrialised nation. The modern and militarily powerful Japan would galvanise its position in the Orient as East Asia's greatest power with a global mission poised to advance to lead the entire world. By the early 1900s, the Empire of Japan succeeded in asserting itself as East Asia's most dominant geopolitical force. With its newly found international status, Japan would begin to challenge
3204-555: The 21st century will be at times breached, in areas like the North China Plain . China, Japan and the Republic of Korea are expected to see some of the largest economic losses caused by sea level rise. The city of Guangzhou is projected to experience the single largest annual economic losses from sea level rise in the world, potentially reaching US$ 254 million by 2050. Under the highest climate change scenario and in
3293-727: The 21st century. Baseball is one of the main sports in East Asia, having been introduced through mid-19th century American contact and further spread by the Japanese Empire. The game has gained millions of fans in China since the 2010s. Formerly the East Asian Games , it is a multi-sport event organized by the East Asian Games Association (EAGA) and held every four years since 2019 among athletes from East Asian countries and territories of
3382-495: The 7th to the 14th centuries, China stood as East Asia's most advanced civilization and foremost military and economic power, exerting its influence as the transmission of advanced Chinese cultural practices and ways of thinking greatly shaped the region up until the nineteenth century. As East Asia's connections with Europe and the Western world strengthened during the late nineteenth century, China's power began to decline. By
3471-941: The Chinese influences they adopted into their local customs. Historian Ping-ti Ho referred to China as the cradle of Eastern civilization, in parallel with the cradle of Middle Eastern civilization along the Fertile Crescent encompassing Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt as well as the cradle of Western civilization encompassing Ancient Greece . Chinese civilization emerged early, and prefigured other East Asian civilisations. Throughout history, imperial China would exert cultural, economic, technological, and political influence on its neighbours. Succeeding Chinese dynasties exerted enormous influence across East Asia culturally, economically, politically and militarily for over two millennia. The tributary system of China shaped much of East Asia's history for over two millennia due to Imperial China's economic and cultural influence over
3560-624: The European colonial powers and inextricably took on a more active role within the East Asian geopolitical order and world affairs at large. Flexing its nascent political and military might, Japan soundly defeated the stagnant Qing dynasty during the First Sino-Japanese War as well as defeating Russia in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905; the first major military victory in the modern era of an East Asian power over
3649-568: The Han Chinese conquered the northern part of the Korean peninsula and established a province called Lelang . Chinese influences were transmitted and soon took root in Korea through the inclusion of the Chinese writing system, monetary system, rice culture, philosophical schools of thought, and Confucian political institutions. Jomon society in ancient Japan incorporated wet-rice cultivation and metallurgy through its contact with Korea. Starting in
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3738-750: The Honmyōji and Tenri copies). Although Qingjun's map is lost, a modified edition of the map is contained in the Shuidong Riji (水東日記) by the Ming period book collector Ye Sheng (葉盛) (1420–1474) under the name of Guanglun Jiangli Tu (廣輪疆理圖). Ye Sheng also recorded Yan Jie's (嚴節) colophon to the map (1452). According to Yan, the Guanglun Jiangli Tu was created in 1360. The extant map was modified, probably by Yan Jie, to catch up with contemporary Ming place names. The original map covered place names of
3827-613: The Kangnido can be used to infer the original content of the Chinese map. As a world map, it reflects the geographic knowledge of China during the Mongol Empire when geographical information about Western countries became available via Islamic geographers . It depicts the general form of the Old World , from Africa and Europe in the west to Japan in the east. Although, overall, it is less geographically accurate than its Chinese cousin, notably in its depiction of rivers and small islands. It does feature some improvements (particularly
3916-530: The Mongol Yuan dynasty . Based on a legend of the temple, it has been assumed naively that the Honmyōji copy was given to Katō Kiyomasa , the ruler of Kumamoto, by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in preparation for the Korean campaigns. However, the Annals of Joseon Dynasty reports that in 1593 the son of a Korean official who had surrendered to Katō copied and offered map(s) of China and Korea to him. This may refer to
4005-554: The Mongol Yuan dynasty. Also, Yan Jie's map suggests that the western end of Qingjun's map was around Hotan . One may notice that the name of Qingjun's map Hunyi Jiangli Tu (混一疆理圖) bears a striking resemblance to that of the Kangnido, Hunyi Jiangli Lidai Guodu Zhi Tu (混一疆理歷代國都之圖) in Chinese. Actually, it is a combination of phrases common during the Mongol era. There were many preceding Chinese maps with similar titles, including
4094-638: The Tang political system, Prince Naka no oe launched the Taika Reform in 645 AD where he radically transformed Japan's political bureaucracy into a more centralised bureaucratic empire. The Japanese also adopted Mahayana Buddhism, Chinese style architecture, and the imperial court's rituals and ceremonies, including the orchestral music and state dances had Tang influences. Written Chinese gained prestige and aspects of Tang culture such as poetry , calligraphy , and landscape painting became widespread. During
4183-668: The absence of adaptation, cumulative economic losses caused by sea level rise in Guangzhou would exceed US$ 1 trillion by 2100. Shanghai is also expected to experience annual losses of around 1% of the local GDP in the absence of adaptation. The Yangtze River basin is a sensitive and biodiverse ecosystem, yet around 20% of its species may be lost throughout the century under 2 °C (3.6 °F) and ~43% under 4.5 °C (8.1 °F). China, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan are all unrecognised by at least one other East Asian state because of severe ongoing political tensions in
4272-414: The bearer's birth order among male siblings in his family. Thus Confucius , whose name was Kong Qiu ( 孔丘 ), was given the courtesy name Zhongni ( 仲尼 ), where the first character zhong indicates that he was the second son born into his family. The characters commonly used are bo ( 伯 ) for the first, zhong ( 仲 ) for the second, shu ( 叔 ) for the third, and ji ( 季 ) typically for the youngest, if
4361-539: The bounds of the Asia-Pacific, although the term Indo-Pacific is more commonly used for such a definition. Observers preferring a broader definition of "East Asia" often use the term Northeast Asia to refer to China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, with the region of Southeast Asia covering the ten ASEAN countries. This usage, which is seen in economic and diplomatic discussions, is at odds with
4450-421: The capital of Yao, the legendary sage-emperor. It followed Chinese tradition in that it was a map of China, not the world. But contrary to Song period maps which reflected limited Chinese knowledge on geography, it incorporated information on Mongolia and Southeast Asia. It also provided information of sea routes, for example, the sea route from Zayton to Hormuz via Java and Ma'bar (There remain traces on
4539-488: The classics of Chinese literature and culture were seen as the foundations for a civilized life in East Asia. Imperial China served as a vehicle through which the adoption of Confucian ethical philosophy, Chinese calendar system, political and legal systems, architectural style, diet, terminology, institutions, religious beliefs, imperial examinations that emphasised a knowledge of Chinese classics, political philosophy and cultural value systems, as well as historically sharing
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#17327731475184628-560: The context of business and economics, "East Asia" is sometimes used to refer to the geographical area covering ten Southeast Asian countries in ASEAN , Greater China , Japan, and Korea. However, in this context, the term " Far East " is used by the Europeans to cover ASEAN countries and the countries in East Asia. On rare occasions, the term is also sometimes taken to include India and other South Asian countries that are not situated within
4717-727: The contour of Africa predates the European explorations of Vasco da Gama . In particular, the southern tip of Africa is quite clearly depicted, as well as a river which may correspond to the Orange River in Southern Africa . To the north of the African continent, beyond the unexplored "black" central mass, a pagoda is represented for the lighthouse of Alexandria , and the Arab word "Misr" for Cairo (al-Qāhira) and Mogadishu (Maqdashaw) are shown among others. The Mediterranean forms
4806-480: The controversy over the location of Yamataikoku , but the other three copies suggest that it is merely exceptional. Since information on Japan differs considerably among the four copies, the original condition is unreconstructible. The Honkōji copy resembles maps in the Haedong Jegukgi (1471), suggesting that information was regularly updated. The original source map, which Gwon Geun did not cite, either
4895-433: The cultures of Japan and Korea and drew them into a Chinese international order. The Imperial Chinese tributary system shaped much of East Asia's foreign policy and trade for over two millennia due to Imperial China's economic and cultural dominance over the region, and thus played a huge role in the history of East Asia in particular. The relationship between China and its cultural influence on East Asia has been compared to
4984-463: The depictions of Korea, Japan, and Africa). Only two copies of the map are known today. Both have been preserved in Japan and show later modifications. The map currently in Ryūkoku University (hereafter, Ryūkoku copy) has gathered scholarly attention since the early 20th century. It is 158 cm by 163 cm, painted on silk. It is presumed that the Ryūkoku copy was created in Korea but it
5073-565: The empire for itself. It is presumed that the Mongol government gathered much more detailed information that was not disclosed to the public. The Chinese source maps were created by and circulated among literati of southern China, especially those in Qingyuan-lu ( Ningbo ). Qingjun, who was from neighboring Taizhou, created the historical map of Hunyi Jiangli Tu when he stayed in Qingyuan. Wu Sidao, who left an important bibliographic clue,
5162-512: The extant Honmyōji map. The Ryūkoku and Honkōji copies contain Gwon Geun's (權近) preface at the bottom. The preface is also recorded in his anthology named Yangchon Seonsaeng Munjip (陽村先生文集). According to Gwon, the map was based on the following four maps: In the fourth year of the Jianwen era (1402), Korean officials named Kim Sa-hyeong (金士衡) and Yi Mu (李茂), and later Yi Hoe (李薈), analyzed
5251-613: The factual error about the map of Japan. It was during the reigns of Taejo (1st king) and Jeongjong (2nd) that the map was obtained in Japan, but the date was altered to Taejong's reign. Oddly enough, the Annals of Joseon Dynasty never mentions the map although it was obviously a national project. Another interesting fact is that this map uses the Ming Chinese era name Jianwen . After the Jianwen Emperor lost to Zhu Di in
5340-404: The family consists of more than three sons. General Sun Jian 's four sons, for instance, were Sun Ce ( 伯符 , Bófú), Sun Quan ( 仲謀 , Zhòngmóu), Sun Yi ( 叔弼 , Shūbì) and Sun Kuang ( 季佐 , Jìzuǒ). Reflecting a general cultural tendency to regard names as significant , the choice of what name to bestow upon one's children was considered very important in traditional China. Yan Zhitui of
5429-453: The fourth century AD and Japan by the seventh century AD, Japan and Korea actively began to incorporate Chinese influences such as Confucianism , the use of Chinese characters , architecture , state institutions, political philosophies , religion, urban planning, and various scientific and technological methods into their culture and society through direct contacts with Tang China and succeeding Chinese dynasties. Drawing inspiration from
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#17327731475185518-516: The fourth century AD, Japan adopted Chinese characters , which remain integral to the Japanese writing system . Utilizing the Chinese writing system allowed the Japanese to conduct their daily activities, maintain historical records and give form to various ideas, thoughts, and philosophies. During the Tang dynasty , China exerted its greatest influence on East Asia as various aspects of Chinese culture spread to Japan and Korea . The establishment of
5607-488: The greater Chinese cultural sphere . Though Confucianism continues to play an important role in Vietnamese culture, Chinese characters are no longer used in its written language and many scholarly organizations classify Vietnam as a Southeast Asian country. Mongolia is geographically north of Mainland China yet Confucianism and the Chinese writing system and culture had limited impact on Mongolian society. Thus, Mongolia
5696-539: The historical influence of Greco-Roman civilization on classical Western civilisation. Religion in East Asia (2020) *Japan switched the date to the Gregorian calendar after the Meiji Restoration. *Not always on that Gregorian date, sometimes April 4. East Asian popular culture, such as anime and manga from Japan and K-pop and K-dramas from South Korea, have become highly popular worldwide in
5785-423: The historical meanings of both "East Asia" and "Northeast Asia". The Council on Foreign Relations of the United States defines Northeast Asia as Japan and Korea. East Asia is home to many climatic zones. It also has unique weather patterns such as the East Asian rainy season and the East Asian Monsoon . Like the rest of the world, East Asia has been getting warmer due to climate change, and there had been
5874-528: The indigenous populations of northeastern China such as the Manchus . The major languages in East Asia include Mandarin Chinese , Japanese , and Korean . The major ethnic groups of East Asia include the Han in China and Taiwan, Yamato in Japan, and Koreans in North and South Korea. and Mongols in Mongolia. There are 76 officially-recognized minority or indigenous ethnic groups in East Asia; 55 native to mainland China (including Hui , Manchus, Chinese Mongols , Tibetans, Uyghurs , and Zhuang in
5963-453: The largest unified population in East Asia, the most literate and urbanised as well as being the most economically developed, as well as the most technologically and culturally advanced civilization in the region at the time. Cultural and religious interaction between the Chinese and other regional East Asian dynasties and kingdoms occurred. China's impact and influence on Korea began with the Han dynasty's northeastern expansion in 108 BC when
6052-414: The latter lost Mainland China to the People's Republic of China in the Chinese Civil War . During the latter half of the twentieth century, the region would see the post war economic miracle of Japan , which ushered in three decades of unprecedented growth, only to experience an economic slowdown during the 1990s , but nonetheless Japan continues to remain a global economic power. East Asia would also see
6141-444: The map. One (Honmyōji copy) housed in the Honmyōji temple of Kumamoto is known as the "Map of the Great Ming" (大明國地圖). The other (Tenri copy) at Tenri University has no title and is tentatively called by a similar name (大明國圖). They are considered to be later adaptations of the original. The most important change is that place names of China are updated to those of the Ming dynasty while the original showed administrative divisions of
6230-652: The medieval Tang dynasty rekindled the impetus of Chinese expansionism across the geopolitical confines of East Asia. Similar to its Han predecessor, Tang China reasserted itself as the center of East Asian geopolitical influence during the early medieval period which spearheaded and marked another golden age in Chinese history . During the Tang dynasty, China exerted its greatest influence on East Asia as various aspects of Chinese culture spread to Japan and Korea. In addition, Tang China also managed to maintain control over northern Vietnam and northern Korea . As full-fledged medieval East Asian states were established, Korea by
6319-420: The mid-nineteenth century, the weakening Qing dynasty became fraught with political corruption, obstacles and stagnation that was incapable of rejuvenating itself as a world power in contrast to the industrializing Imperial European colonial powers and a rapidly modernizing Japan. The United States Commodore Matthew C. Perry would open Japan to Western influence , and the country would expand in earnest after
6408-617: The north and east of Besh Baliq even if they are actually located to the west. For example, the Talas River , a historic site for the Tang dynasty , was placed to the northeast of Besh Baliq although its actual direction is northwest. Similarly, India and Tibet are based on traditional Chinese knowledge, mainly gained by Buddhist pilgrimage up to the Tang dynasty. To the west of the "old" India, contemporary place names of India such as Delhi, Badaun and Duwayjir~Duwayqir (Persianized form of Devagiri ) are shown. This suggests that information
6497-584: The population in Continental Asia and 20% of the global population. The region is home to major world metropolises such as Beijing – Tianjin , Busan – Daegu – Ulsan – Changwon , Guangzhou , Hong Kong , Osaka – Kyoto – Kobe , Seoul , Shanghai , Shenzhen , Taipei , and Tokyo . Although the coastal and riparian areas of the region form one of the world's most populated places, the population in Mongolia and Western China , both landlocked areas,
6586-573: The pre-Mongol period. Place names presented on the map suggest that the western portion of the map reflects roughly the situation of the early 14th century. In the East, geographic information about the West was not updated in the post-Mongol period until Europeans such as Matteo Ricci brought Western knowledge. Place names based on traditional Chinese knowledge and Islamic knowledge coexist separately. Their boundary line can be drawn from Besh Baliq to Delhi . Names based on Chinese geography were placed to
6675-417: The present day include the Japanese , Korean , and Mongolian civilizations. Various other civilizations existed as independent polities in East Asia in the past but have since been absorbed into neighbouring civilizations in the present day, such as Tibet , Manchuria , and Ryukyu (Okinawa), among many others. Taiwan has a relatively young history in the region after the prehistoric era ; originally, it
6764-817: The region's prominence has facilitated the transmission of ideas, cultural exchanges, commercial trade, scientific and technological cooperation, and migration, as its position and proximity to both the Pacific Ocean and the Continental Asian landmass makes it strategically significant for facilitating international maritime trade and transportation. The contemporary economic, technological, political, and social integration of East Asia coupled with its rich history of diversity, division, and divergent development have all contributed to its enduring complexity, scientific and technological advancement, cultural richness, economic prosperity, and geopolitical significance on
6853-556: The region, and thus played a huge role in the history of East Asia in particular. Imperial China's cultural preeminence not only led the country to become East Asia's first literate nation in the entire region, it also supplied Japan and Korea with Chinese loanwords and linguistic influences rooted in their writing systems. Under Emperor Wu of Han , the Han dynasty made China the regional powerhouse in East Asia, projecting much of its imperial influence onto its neighbours. Han China hosted
6942-416: The region, specifically the division of Korea and the political status of Taiwan . thousands (2023) [REDACTED] The culture of East Asia has been deeply influenced by China , as it was the civilization that had the most dominant influence in the region throughout the ages that ultimately laid the foundation for East Asian civilization. The vast knowledge and ingenuity of Chinese civilization and
7031-562: The root from which many other East Asian calendars are derived. Major religions in East Asia include Buddhism (mostly Mahayana ), Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism , Taoism , ancestral worship , and Chinese folk religion in Mainland China, Hong Kong , Macau and Taiwan , Shinto in Japan, and Christianity and Musok in Korea. Tengerism and Tibetan Buddhism are prevalent among Mongols and Tibetans while other religions such as Shamanism are widespread among
7120-521: The throne in 1400. In 1401, he was officially recognized as King of Joseon by the Chinese Emperor for the first time in the dynasty's history. In the 6th month of 1402, Yi Hoe's map of Korea was offered in a ceremony to celebrate his birthday. Then the project to combine it with Chinese and Japanese maps reportedly started in the summer (4th–6th months). This would be of symbolic significance in demonstrating royal power. This hypothesis also explains
7209-461: The two special administrative regions of China . The economies of China , Japan , South Korea , and Taiwan are among the world's largest and most prosperous. East Asia borders North Asia to the north, Southeast Asia to the south, South Asia to the southwest, and Central Asia to the west. To its east is the Pacific Ocean . East Asia has long been a crossroads of civilizations, as
7298-477: The two Chinese maps and combined these two maps into a single map. They thought that Li Zemin's map did not properly depict the region east to the Liao River ( Liaodong ) and Korea, they added the enlarged Korea, and also appended a map of Japan, premised about a similar map that was introduced to Korea from Japan in 1402. Li Zemin's world map is lost, and little is known about the creator Li Zemin. The Kangnido
7387-418: The world economy. As of at least 2022, the region is more peaceful, integrated, wealthy, and stable than any time in the previous 150 years. In common usage, the term "East Asia" typically refers to a region including Greater China , Japan , Korea and Mongolia . China , Japan , and Korea represent the three core countries and civilizations of traditional East Asia, as they once had
7476-513: The world stage. With the region having been home to various influential empires, kingdoms, and dynasties throughout history, each leaving its mark on the region and transforming the region's geopolitical landscape ranging from distinct dynastic kingdoms to colonial possessions to independent modern nation-states. East Asia, especially Chinese civilization , is regarded as one of the earliest cradles of civilization . Other ancient civilizations in East Asia that still exist as independent countries in
7565-535: Was a major site of Austronesian civilisation prior to colonisation by European colonial powers and China from the 17th century onward. For thousands of years, China was the leading civilization in the region, exerting influence on its neighbours. Historically, societies in East Asia have fallen within the Chinese sphere of influence , and East Asian vocabularies and scripts are often derived from Classical Chinese and Chinese script . The Chinese calendar serves as
7654-491: Was acquired via the Ilkhanate . Western Turkestan, Persia, Arabia, Egypt and Anatolia are quite clearly delineated. These areas are depicted in great detail while place names are sparsely distributed in northwestern Eurasia. They correspond to the territories of Ilkhanate and the rival Golden Horde respectively, reinforcing Ilkhanate as the main source of information. There are about 35 African place names. The knowledge of
7743-540: Was also from Qingyuan. In addition, Qingyuan-lu was one of the most important seaports from which the sea routes were extended to Fuzhou and Guangzhou, and Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea. It is possible that these maps were available in Korea during the Mongol era. Korea, at the time under the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), was closely integrated into the Mongol Empire as a quda (son-in-law) state. One supporting fact
7832-476: Was created sometime after 1360. Most importantly, Korea's attempt to merge Chinese maps had at least one precedent in the Mongol era. As a world map, the Kangnido depicts the general form of the Old World, from Africa and Europe in the west to Japan in the east although the western portion is much smaller than its actual size. It contains the cartographic knowledge of Afro-Eurasia that cannot be found in China in
7921-499: Was sometimes adopted by Mongols and Manchus during the Qing dynasty . The choice of a courtesy name was significant, intended to express moral integrity and respect within the cultural context. A courtesy name is a name traditionally given to Chinese men at the age of 20 sui , marking their coming of age . It was sometimes given to women, usually upon marriage. The practice is no longer common in modern Chinese society. According to
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