Chinese and Korean Culture

Each culture has its own unique artistic style. For example, ancient art pieces may be

found throughout South-East Asia, and these works are mostly indicative of the Japanese,

Chinese, Korean, and Indian art traditions. It is generally accepted that Indian Buddhism was the

primary inspiration for the art. Although there are some shared characteristics across the cultural

artefacts, the creative styles of the many communities are rather distinct. Paintings from China,

Korea, and Japan all share a similar medium and approach, but their styles differ in terms of

color palette, brushwork, and contrast. This article provides a comparative study of Chinese and

Korean culture artwork.

In 65 CE, Buddhist ideas were brought to China, challenging the prevalent tenets of

Chinese thought. Samsara and karma are key concepts in Buddhism, which holds that actions

taken in previous lifetimes influence where a person will be in this life and in subsequent ones

and that existence is a never-ending cycle of reincarnation. The Chinese people were slow to

adopt these new ideas because of their deeply rooted beliefs about the afterlife. To make

Buddhism a prominent cultural force, foreign suzerains were required (Liu).

The Celestial Empire has been a name for China from its earliest days. This conveys a

deeper meaning, portraying a nation where the heavenly and mortal formerly coexisted, as well

as China's strength and status as East Asia's Middle Kingdom. It alludes to the idea that the

Chinese people have a very full and varied cultural heritage since the divine provided it to them

through successive dynasties. For this reason, the Chinese civilization is considered "spiritually

inspired," and it is the only culture on the globe to have a 7,000-year-long established history. Its

enormous reach is reflected in the vast body of literature, records, and artefacts it has left behind.

The Yellow Emperor is credited with founding Chinese civilization years ago. He was a

powerful and wise Taoist farmer. To his people, he imparted the knowledge of the celestial Way.
 Cultures around the Yellow River in the "heartland" of China (Henan, Shanxi, and

Shaanxi Provinces) emerged during the Neolithic era, when they began making decorative and

practical artefacts. One such object is the ceramic Funerary Jar, which is often discovered in a

tomb and has slip decoration. Scholars are aware that Neolithic earthenware pots had both

practical and ceremonial functions, but beyond that, they know little about this jar or the culture

from which it came (Li).

The Shang era (about 1500-1050 BCE) culture created the most advanced bronze

technology of any ancient civilization, and its distinctive bronze vessels date to the Bronze Age

following the Neolithic period. To be clear, the Shang kingdom was a unified state whose capital

moved between several cities in modern-day Henan. Shang culture flourished beyond the borders

of the Shang empire, despite being bordered by hostile kingdoms.

From 1300 BCE until the end of the Shang dynasty in around 1050 BCE, the city of

Anyang served as the cultural and ceremonial core of the Shang people. In this region, bronze

was mostly utilized to make weapons, chariot components, horse equipment, and vessels. In

addition to animal and human sacrifices, bronze vases were used at special dinners to

memorialise the departed members of high society. As a result, the afterlife provided for all of

the wants of the departed. These rites and sacrifices were conducted by aristocrats so that their

forefathers in the afterlife might bless their undertakings and provide them prosperity (J. Liu).

Traditional Korean art has been strongly impacted by the aesthetics of both China and

Japan, using comparable themes, motifs, methods, and forms. Korean artists, however, have,

through the years, evolved their own unique style despite their strong ties to the traits of

traditional Chinese artwork. Korean art is distinct due to its naturalism, spontaneity, and

simplicity (Osgood).
  There are various relics and signs of ancient civilizations on the Korean peninsula, some

of which date all the way back to the Paleolithic period. For example, a variety of prehistoric

clay pots and utensils, as well as rock art in the manner of Siberian X-rays, have been discovered

along the southeastern coast of Korea. Flat-bottomed containers adorned with zigzag patterns

were created during the Neolithic period of Korean art, followed by comb-pattern pottery.

Although there is some evidence that these forms were inspired by Chinese Neolithic Art, it is

more probable that they were impacted by Siberian customs (Taesik).

The art of calligraphy was probably brought to Korea during the Three Kingdoms Period,

presumably with Buddhism. It flourished during the Silla Period, when Kim Saeng was hailed as

the first Korean calligrapher master. During the Goryeo era, Buddhism was officially

acknowledged as the state religion, leading to a proliferation of Buddhist temples and a

flowering of Buddhist art in all forms. Printing in Korea had its start because people wanted to

spread Buddhist ideas. For instance, the invention of moveable metal type in the early 13th

century facilitated the dissemination of books; the first surviving metal-printed book, Jikji,

includes the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism.

Meanwhile, over 80,000 wooden slabs, collectively called the Tripitaka Koreana, were

carved with the whole of the Buddhist canon. Silla pottery was renowned for its ceramic’s urns,

which are distinguished by a yellowish-green lead finish and embellished with stamped floral

motifs, in the field of ornamental arts and crafts. For Buddhist temples and palaces, ceramic roof

and tile floors with lotus blossoms and other floral designs were also ordered (Hi-seung).
References

Hi-seung, Lee. "Characteristics of Korean Culture." Korea Journal (1963).

Li, Mingjie, and Jinfang Niu. "A preservation framework for Chinese ancient books." Journal of

Documentation (2010).

Liu, JeeLoo. "An introduction to Chinese philosophy: From ancient philosophy to Chinese

Buddhism." (2006).

Liu, Shuang, et al. "Preliminary study on the knowledge graph construction of Chinese ancient

history and culture." Information (2020): 186.

Osgood, Cornelius. The Koreans and their culture. 1951.

Taesik, Kim. "The Cultural Characteristics of Korea’s Ancient Kaya Kingdom." International

Journal of Korean History (2005): 169-221.