Increased trade led to growing interaction between China and the rest of the world, also causing China to spread its influence throughout the surrounding territories. This period of East Asian history was characterized by China's growing influence in the early history of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. These civilizations were greatly influenced by their contact with China, so much so that "China was the paradigm of all East Asian societies."
In order to prepare for this discussion, you must first complete the following readings.
Read Chapter 11.
Read the Primary Source documents, The Seventeen-Article Constitution on pg 281.
Read the Primary Source document How the Earth was Formed, and then re-read The Creation of the World: A Mayan View, in Chapter 6, pg 150, and Japan's Warrior Class, on pg 284.
Study the history of Vietnam. What factors or forces do you believe enabled Vietnamese society to develop, in spite of the fact Vietnam had no major natural or geographical boundary separating it from China.