It's interesting to hear that China was affected by outsiders when their position to stay closed off before the open door policy and spheres of influence was a big thing in the 20th century. The fragmentation of China in the 2nd century sounds like Europe during the Middle Ages, though it seems like China didn't take a thousand years to reunify.
While it didn't take long to build a new dynasty, China sure seems to go through a lot of them. I guess if the ruler doesn't keep the Mandate of Heaven the way the people describe it, out they go. The fact that their meritocracy grew but was still primarily built around scholar-elites, and some positions just went to elites is a bit paradoxical.
Foot binding is not cool! Not cool!
It's interesting that China wanted to keep the nomadic tribes out as much as they could yet relied on them so much for goods. It's also interesting that the nomads were the ones in control of most of the routes for the Silk Roads.
It's hilarious that the Chinese tribute system so often worked in favor of the northern nomads but China had to keep acting like they were the stronger party. Political rhetoric never really changes. I'm getting the sense that anyone who isn't Chinese will be called a barbarian based on which direction they are from.
So Korea uses China as a trading partner as part of its rulers legitimacy; Vietnam fought the cultural implications more and were considered the lesser trading partner by China and Japan just borrowed whatever they wanted without having to worry about being invaded and taken over like Korea and Vietnam.
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