Cultural China Dynasty
“Yin and Yang”
A contrast and complement of Two Asian Cultures
Humanities
China is one of the oldest civilizations in the history of the world. Its beginnings are traced back as far as 6000 years and the language used by the Chinese has been around and unchanged longer than any other language in the world. The isolation of this far eastern empire has some cultural signification dating back to the Roman conquest, yet China's influence is prevalent in all of the Far Eastern countries which it borders. As the migration of Chinese culture, religion, and the arts has extended as far east as Korea, China still influences the culture and make up of the Japanese people and how they view their place in the world as a chief economic and social contributor .
Basically, China is the grandfather and chief influence of a diverse evolutionary cultural realm which emphasizes the meaning of the word Dynasty. Yet, there is another cultural dynasty which exists even today and that is the Cultural Revolution as is seen in the society of the Japanese people. Japan owes its current cultural fabric to the migration of the Chinese culture through the evolution of the Korean people, yet the influences of both eastern and western thought is the cohesive thread that holds the Japanese cultural views and style of life together. China and Japan are in a cultural interplay with each other; they are the Yin and Yang of far Eastern culture.
Religious beliefs are the primary foundation for the evolution of culture in the world and this foundation is what makes the world such a diverse melting pot, but the philosophical and religious traditions indigenous with the Far East began to take hold during China's Zhou dynasty. China's religious traditions which are inherent in the philosophies and beliefs of both Confucianism and Taoism are instrumental in the cultural environment of the Far East even though both beliefs are desendence of the Buddhism philosophy. Confucianism is a perspective based on the teachings of Confucius that emphasized morality, tradition, and ethical behavior, while Taoism is a system advocating a life of complete simplicity and naturalness.
This philosophy and perspective is apparent in the temples and tombs during the reign of the twelve Chinese dynasties. The emperors of the Ming dynasty had the most influence of all the dynasties combined with respect to the architecture of the times. With the use of terracotta, tiling, and the emphasis of bronze and gold the Ming dynasty took the elements of Roman art and architecture incorporated it with the naturalism of the Confucianism perspective.
Many of the mausoleums which were in ruins have been preserved and brought back to their original glory. The use of golden dragons atop the yellow glazed tiles signified the special status of the tomb occupants, and the color yellow and the dragon images were for the exclusive use of the imperial families. This became more apparent in the two tombs belonging to the ninth and tenth emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Xiazong being a benevolent, hard-working and competent ruler created a period of peace and prosperity while his son Emperor Wuzong was a mediocre emperor and concentrated all his attention on other matters outside of his rule. Yet, their influences brought about the most significant contribution to the Dynasties artistic portrayal of Romanesque temple architecture.
Another portrayal of Romanesque influence is prevalent in the array of gold and silver works incorporated in the terracotta sculptures found in the graves of the emperors of the Tang Dynasty, which is marked by the period of receptiveness to foreign influences. It was during the height of this dynasty that China became a world power in economics, trading, and providing influence both cultural and monetary to all of its Eastern Asian neighbors.
China's direct influence has never been more instrumental as it has been to the Japanese culture. Although China's religious perspectives are the foundation of their culture the attributes of Buddhism is what defines the culture of Japan.
Buddhism is the religious response in East Asia that adheres to the doctrines of Buddha, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold path.
Buddhism and Shinto influences in Japan were received from China through Korea. Significantly, Japan embraced this new religious philosophy by copying sacred texts and incorporating the practice of Buddhism into their written language, which was originally learned from the Chinese. The building of temples and the ordaining of monasteries portrayed the patriotic appreciation of the Japanese land. Shintoism developed over the centuries from worship of nature to the state religion of Japan.
The Four Noble Truths consists of the imperfection and incompleteness of life and the answer to life's problems of suffering is the Eightfold Path. This aspiration toward enlightenment suggests that the followers of Shintoism be honest and charitable, and conduct themselves in a manner of living achieved through meditation in order to receive religious enlightenment.
Shinto thought is a set of ancient beliefs and traditions that has developed in Japan throughout the ages and is a dominating force in modern Japanese life. It is the main spiritual focus of social and economic thought. This manifestation inspired by the supernatural power of nature is distinguished between those who brought fortune and those who brought misfortune.
The propagating of Zen-Buddhism in Japan was fulfilled during the T'ang Dynasty. It was during this time that Japan dispatched envoys to China to convey diplomacy and to attribute an economic mission of exporting domestic products. It was then that persecuted priests versed in the Buddha philosophy stowed aboard Japanese vessel returning home with goods from China that bought the Shinto form of religious thought back to Japan.
The Shinto influence in traditional architecture allows for simplicity and uncomfortable human habitation. Even though Shinto shrines house sacred treasures they are of a simple nature depicting the philosophy of the Shinto beliefs. These shrines are dedicated to a deity which is somewhat transcended to the natural landscape. They infuse a positive spirit of nature without limitations to the deity.
One signification shrine which has accoutrements of Romanesque and Chinese architecture has been officially designated as the spiritual homeland of the Japanese people. This shrine is located on an island in the Sea of Japan not far from the Hirado, the spiritual center of Zen-Buddhism belief. The rear wall of the shrine has a large window through which one can view the stormy skies, which are a typical occurrence of this region and is supposedly the exiled place of the Sun Goddess and her unruly brother. The significance of viewing the stormy skies deals with one of the Four Noble Truths; that life consists of suffering, impermanence, imperfection and incompleteness.
Traditionally the local shrines serve as both parks and town squares for Japanese communities. Most are located in older neighborhoods of modern cities and are still places of worship.
Japanese Oni, a form of art culture is inspired by the supernatural. The theory behind oni suggests that the demonic images are guardians of the Zen-Buddhist hell, and are wayward gods of the Shinto belief system. It is believed that under certain circumstances the sprits of the dead could become oni and thereby cause trouble to those in the living world. The character of the living soul abiding by the Four Noble truths quells the inherent nature of the demonic spirits thereby committing the soul to a natural realm.
As Japan's ancient traditions and beliefs are the cornerstone to their cultural presence they still embrace the Western attributes of life. As the Western influences bombard the cultural beliefs of the East it is more apparent that the East Asian countries keep the religious philosophies and practices sacred for the well being of the people. China has taken a page out of Japan's cultural heritage book and can still become an economically diverse nation with traditional religious beliefs, while still being the Ying and Yang of the Asian world.
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