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Regarding China's Influences on Asian Cultures

Every once in a while I end up in a discussion with someone who begins stating a lot of opinions as if they were facts or at least first hand observations. A few days ago I was in such discussion regarding China.

I sometimes discuss China but not all that often. Those who do not know me or have not been reading the blog for a while may not know that not only did I live and work in Asia for a while in the 1980's, I also speak Chinese Mandarin. I have the utmost respect for the culture and history of the entire region and perhaps know a good deal more about China than even some native Chinese. As there is quite a lot to know, I do not profess to know everything. Chinese culture is rich and the history predates the times when my Caucasian ancestors were still bands of hunters in the great forests of Europe or still cave dwellers.

The western name 'China' come from the Mandarin 'Zhi Na'. (Pronounced more like Djur Na) In some sub-dialects of Mandarin the pronunication fla ttens enough that the retroflexive tongue is moved closer to the palate producing a sound that might be mistaken as a 'Chi'. (pronounced more like Chur)

Indochina comes from Yindu Zhina - the combining of the word Yin Du, the Chinese rendering of Hindu and Zhi Na, meaning China.

The characters Zhi and Na are less seldom used in China in reference to the nation. Chgina is usually expressed as Zhong Guo, Zhong meaning middle and Guo meaning kingdom. In Chinese tradition, the Han peoples of whom the modern day Chinese descended occupied the center most point of the metaphysical as well as physical universe. In this ethnocentric model of the world, China was the middle or source of everything.

Besides the early developments of astronomy, language, silk, gun powder and noodles, the Chinese culture is perhaps best known as the ancient originator of what are today's martial arts disciplines. Almost the entire spectrum of techniques owe back the Shao Lin priests and their study of balance and harmony in nature as a means of immitating the movement of animals and a means of effectively defending ones self in battle. For example, the 'Snake Technique' is generally credited as the origin of Japanese Karate. Legend has it that a Japanese monk 'borrowed' a scroll depicting the entire snake technique from a Shao Lin temple. The Korean forms of Tai Kwon Do and Tang Su Do are also heavily based on the Shao Lin sect's Gung Fu. (often anglicized as Kung Fu)

Despite the Western view that the variety of Asian cultures and peoples come from one source, this is probably far from the truth. Although China has had a predominance of influence throughout the region, most notable in written langauge, each of the Asian cultures appear to have devloped differently over time. Such unifying forces as Budhism, Confuscianism and Taoism notwithstanding, there are distinct cultural dissimilarities between the various people of Asia. The differences are at times stirking.

For example the modern Korean language uses an alphabet developed in the 16th century but the underlying structures of sentence construction are more akin to middle Eastern languages than Chinese. Despite the use of Chinese Characters in formal, legal language, the Korean language does not rely upon Chinese sentense constructions. The character appear to be borrowed in isolated substitution for what would otherwise be written out in the Hangul alphabet. This leads many to suggest that the Korean people developed along a unique and distinct plath, a concept that seems to support the creation myths in Korean tradition. The existence of totums on the Korean Peninsula suggests that American Eskimos and the Native Americans of the northwestern United States and western Canada may share a origin with the Korean people.

The structure of the Japanese language also suggests only the passing influence of Chinese, perhaps as the result of trade and military conquest more than cultural or social derivation. There are some Chinese Characters that have been adopted into the formal Japanese language but this may be even less a sign of origin than in the Korean example. Sometimes the meaning of the Chinese character is greatly different than the meaning attributed in the Chinese language.

Prior to the introduction of the French Alphabet, the Vietnamese relied heavily on Chinese characters even though the language was different enough in sentense construction to cast doubt on its derivation from Cantonese, as some have suggested. The similarity the usage of a tonal inflections to change meaning of a similar sound might have been borrowed from Chinese and adoptyed into the Vietnamese language but it is clear enough that the vietnamese do not speak a language that is similar to any dialect of Chinese.

posted by Unknown @ 12:01 PM