Bordered by China in the north, the rest of the Korean peninsula is separated from China by the East China Sea. Due to China's proximity and its occupation of northern Korea from 108 B.C. to A.D. 313, Korean culture has been heavily influenced by the Chinese. Some of China's influence on Korea's culture can be seen in its language, religion, food and art.
Language
The written Korean language is a mixture of Chinese characters, known as Hanja, and the Korean alphabet, Hangul. While Koreans have had their own spoken language since the beginning of their civilization, it was not until the mid-15th century that a Korean alphabet was created. Before King Sejong created the Korean alphabet in 1443, the educated class and the government communicated with Chinese characters. The use of Chinese characters has decreased over time but some Chinese characters can still be found in newspaper articles and other official documents.
Religion
Buddhism, one of Korea's major religions, arrived in Korea from China in the 4th century. By the late 6th century, Korean monks were traveling to China to receive training and bring back texts and images. Buddhism flourished in Korea until the arrival of Confucianism, also from China. Confucianism replaced Buddhism as Korea's state ideology during the Choson Dynasty in the 14th century. The Confucian ideals of respect for elders and education are still important in modern Korean society.
Food
Rice, a staple of the Korean diet, was introduced in Korea from China at around 1100 B.C. Before rice cultivation, the population ate a subsistence diet of millet and other grains and vegetables. The introduction of rice resulted in the growth and spread of the population to new areas of the country. Cabbage, another staple of Korean cuisine, was first cultivated in China. Domesticated cattle, pigs and birds also came from China. Chopsticks, which the Chinese began using during the Han Dynasty, are also used by Koreans.
Literature and Art
Korea's art has also been influenced by China. Movable type printing, a system in which separate letters or characters are used to create a text, was created in China. Korea expanded on this technique by creating the first movable metal type, which led to the printing of "Jikji," the world's first movable metal print book, in 1377. Korean painting in the 14th century was styled after the Chinese landscape style. The techniques for creating Goryeo Celadon, Korea's famed gray-green ceramic, were based upon the techniques of Chinese artists.
