THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT CIVILIZATIONS OF THE FAR EAST - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The most important Far Eastern civilizations are India and China. In addition, in eastern Asia there are other cultures such as Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Korean, Japanese and Chinese.

These populations arose in an isolated way to the West, which made them develop unknown and surprising ways of thinking and communicating through language, as well as different traditions and customs.

The cultures that have existed or continue to exist in this area of ​​Asia are very diverse, although they have traits in common, such as the non-monotheistic religion that most of them profess. Below, you can see in more detail what these civilizations are, what traits they have in common and what differentiates them.

The top 10 civilizations of the Far East

1- China

Chinese civilization emerged more than 5000 years ago and is one of the most important in the Asian region known as the Far East. The first known Chinese dynasty is the Xià dynasty, this was present from the 21st to the 16th century BC

China would be governed by this feudal system until 1949. The last was the Quing dynasty, which lasted until 1949. On this date the Republic of China was given way, after World War II and after a long process of reforms.

The most curious thing about Chinese civilization is that it is a society that combines in a very curious way the ancestral traditions with the Western customs that have reached this country, as a result of globalization.

Religion

Although China's constitution recognizes freedom of religion, there are beliefs that are more popular in this country. The three main doctrines are Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism and are known as San Jiao.

Buddhism

It is the main religion. It had a great influence on Chinese culture during the Han dynasty, to such an extent that its doctrines have permeated popular phrases today. Buddhism does not conceive a single creator, it is a non-theistic religion that is based on the teachings of the Buddha.

Confucianism

Confucianism can be conceived as a religion and as a school of thought. It held the position of main religion until the 7th century. This doctrine conceives the universe as a harmonious place regulated by nature.

Taoism

It is considered that Lao Tse was the philosopher who promoted this way of life, based on the relationship between man and nature. The teachings of this religion are based on the classic text Tao Te King, written by the same philosopher, also known as Laozi.

Language

The Chinese language brings together a set of dialects and languages ​​that are spoken throughout the country. Mandarin Chinese is the best known in the world and the most widely spoken internationally. The rest of the varieties of the Chinese language are known as Sinitic languages.

Chinese culture is also well known for its gastronomy, consisting of dishes made with meat, seaweed and pasta such as rice, noodles and noodles. A lot of soy is also consumed.

Other popular aspects of this civilization are the calendar, different from that of the western world, the horoscope that goes according to the year and the way to celebrate popular holidays such as the new year.

2- Japan

According to the oldest known manuscript in the history of Japan, the Japanese civilization was founded by Emperor Jinmu in the 7th century BC As with China, until after World War II, this country was led by a imperialist system.

Religion

Japan also defends freedom of religion in its constitution, although the most widely professed doctrines are Buddhism, which was imported from China in the 6th century, and Shintoism. The latter is the indigenous religion of the country and conceives the elements of nature as deities.

Folklore

If Japan is characterized by something, it is because of its popular tradition. This country is characterized both by its great works on a visual level, such as painting and manga, as well as by its traditional clothes.

Among the typical costumes, the kimono stands out, a long suit, similar to a robe. This is usually accompanied by wooden sandals.

Other well-known and popular aspects of Japanese civilization and culture are the traditions related to geisha and samurai. Geisha are female artists, very typical during the 18th and 19th centuries and whose function is to entertain with different artistic disciplines. They used to be intended for the male audience.

Japanese civilization has exported other cultural aspects to the rest of the world such as gastronomy, especially dishes such as sushi that are becoming more and more popular.

3- India

Indian civilization emerged 4,500 years ago. This culture, which has developed outside of Western civilization and has made important advances in branches such as architecture (Taj Mahal).

Caste system

One of the most identifying features of this civilization is the stratified way in which it is socially organized. This caste division is influenced by the main religion of Indian culture, Hinduism.

Indian society is organized into castes, based on four categories. These are Brahmins, made up of priests and intellectuals; the Ksatriya, warriors and rulers; Vaisyas, merchants and landowners and the Sudras, farmers. Finally there is a category where several untouchable castes are grouped, the Pancama.

Language

India has no official language, within this civilization, you can find a great linguistic variety. This diversity can be classified into four major linguistic families: Indo-Aryan, Munda, Dravidian, and Tibetan-Burmese.

Religion

Hinduism is the religion of the Indian civilization. Although, if you talk about the territory that this society occupies, you can find other religions such as Christianity or Buddhism.

Hinduism is the third most professed religion in the world. The influence of this belief is so great that people who live in India or who belong to this culture are known by the name of Hindus, to distinguish them from the indigenous societies found in the American continent.

One of the most curious aspects of Hinduism is that it does not have a founder, it is a set of heterogeneous beliefs. Therefore, within this religion you can find different schools.

God is known as Brahman and defends the existence of reincarnation, specifically this is a cyclical process that occurs in the visible world. The main objective of Hindus is to escape this cycle of reincarnations and reach the universal principle.

4- Mongolia

The culture of the Mongolian civilization has been marked by the passage of different nomadic empires such as the state of Xiongnu, the state of Xianbei, or the Turkic Khaganate.

The Mongol Empire as such dates from the 13th century. This was one of the most extensive in history and was formed by the grouping of the various nomadic tribes of Mongolia under the leadership of Genghis Khan.

Religion

During ancient times, the predominant religion in the Mongol Empire was Tengrianism. It incorporates elements of shamanism, which has also been traditionally practiced by the Mongols.

This doctrine is promoted by shamans, who are people with supposed powers to detect and cure human suffering, something they achieve through their relationship with spirits.

However, the predominant religion in what is now known as Mongolia is Buddhism, specifically Tibetan Buddhism.

5- Indonesia

It can be said that Indonesia is not a civilization as such, but a mixture of several civilizations.

Religion

Although the constitution of current Indonesia includes freedom of religion, it has a small nuance, as long as it is one of the five official ones. These are Islam, Catholicism, Buddhism, Protestantism, or Hinduism.

Language

Although there is a great variety of languages ​​within this civilization, the most widely spoken is Bahasa Indonesia, of Malay origin and originating from merchants.

6- Thailand

The civilization of Thailand is relatively recent with respect to the previous ones. It dates back to the first millennium AD when the Thais left China and settled in the country that is now known as Thailand.

However, it wasn't until the 13th century that Thailand became a nation. They established their first kingdom in Sukhothai.

Within the Thai civilization, there are varieties depending on the region in which its inhabitants live.

Among the most popular cultural and artistic manifestations of the Thai civilization worldwide is Muay Thai, a typical sport similar to kick-boxing.

Religion

The religion most professed by Thais is Buddhism, specifically the Theravada school, the oldest of this religion. One of the traits of this variety in Thailand is the culture of merit to obtain miracles.

In addition to Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam have also had a great reception from the Thai population.

7- Vietnam

Like most of the eastern societies discussed in this article, Vietnamese civilization grew out of a nomadic settlement that was located around the Red Delta at the time. Its mythological origin is in the union of the Dragon and the Fairy.

It is one of the oldest known cultures, dating back more than 3,000 years, although for a millennium it was under the rule of China, a country from which it became independent in the 10th century.

Vietnamese society has traditionally lived off agriculture, especially rice cultivation, a cereal widely used in its popular cuisine.

Religion

The external contributions that the Vietnamese culture has had also have had a great influence on the religion of this society.

The Vietnamese have a religion based on the mixture of three religions such as Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, known as the Tam Giáo. The Catholic religion also has a lot of following.

Language

Currently, most of the words that Vietnamese use are of Chinese origin. However, there are words that come from the dialects used by the nomadic tribes that gave rise to this civilization, including the Mon-Khmer communities.

8- Korea

Although today there are great differences between North Korea and South Korea for political reasons, there are common aspects that characterize this civilization before its division before 1945.

This civilization arises from the people of the Tung-i who settled in the year 3000 BC in the Manchuria region until they covered the entire Korean peninsula.

Folklore

Korea has received great Chinese influences throughout history that have been reflected in folk and popular traditions. For example, dances are divided into national and foreign, with those from China entering the latter. The painting also adopted Chinese techniques related to Buddhism.

In gastronomy, as in the vast majority of other Asian countries, rice is crowned as the main ingredient.

Some of the most popular festivals are yeonggo, dongmaeng, and muncheon. The typical costume of Korean civilization is the hanbok, which has varieties according to social stratum.

9- Burmese Culture

Burmese society has been strongly marked by Chinese and Hindu influences. This has been reflected in aspects such as art, where elements of the Buddhist religion were traditionally represented, and in gastronomy; its most famous dish is mohinga, a soup made with noodles and fish broth.

Religion

As in Thailand and as you will see in Cambodia below, the most popular doctrine is that advocated by the Theravada school of Buddhism.

10- Khmer Culture (Cambodia)

The culture of Cambodia's civilization is marked by the Khmer Empire (sI-7th century), although this was much larger than the region territorially occupied by present-day Cambodia. It also covered countries like Thailand or Burma.

Today, the Khmer people make up the majority of the Cambodian population. The gastronomy is similar to Chinese and Indian. The typical costumes are the sarong and the sampot, cloth garments, which can be rolled up at the crotch or loose to the ankles, without differentiation by social class.

Religion

In Cambodia, the Hindu religion was professed for a long time. However, today, as in Thailand and Burma, the predominant religion is Buddhism of the Theravada school.

References

1. Chinese culture, tradition and customs. Recovered from: elements.science.psu.edu.
2. Chinese culture: Customs & traditions of China. Recovered from: livescience.com.
3. Travel China Guide. Recovered from: travelchinaguide.com.
4. Wikipedia.org.
5. Japanese culture. Recovered from insidejapantours.com.
6. India. Recovered from everyculture.com.
7. Religion in Mongolia. Recovered from discovermongolia.nm.
8. Vietnamese language history. Recovered from vietnam-culture.com.
9. Indonesian culture. Recovered from culturaindonesia.blogspot.com.