Fascinating Facts About East Asia That You Shouldn't Miss Out On

East Asia is a fascinating place with a rich history and culture.

East Asia is home to some of the world's oldest civilizations, including the Chinese civilization, Japanese, and Korean. East Asia is also home to some of the world's most populous countries, with China and India both home to more than 1 bn people. 

This is one of the most economically prosperous regions in the world. Countries like Japan and South Korea are among the most developed in the world, while China is rapidly growing. Each country has its own unique culture and history, which makes for a fascinating travel destination. 

East Asia is home to some of the world's most iconic landmarks, including the Great Wall of China, Mount Fuji, and the Taj Mahal. These landmarks are popular tourist destinations for people from all over the world. While Shanghai, China, is one of the busiest ports in the world and a major center for trade and commerce. 

The food is also incredibly diverse and delicious. From Chinese dumplings to Japanese sushi, there are endless options to explore. This is also home to some of the most beautiful and impressive landscapes in the world. From the towering mountains of China to the stunning beaches of South Korea, there is something for everyone to enjoy. 

Finally, This is a region that is constantly changing and evolving. With new technologies and innovations emerging every day, there is always something new to explore. So be sure to add this place to your travel bucket list and you will not regret it.

If you have enjoyed reading some facts about East Asia, then read on to find out more, including facts about its geography, history, culture, and economy.

The Geographical Region Of East Asia

Let's explore some facts about East Asia's physical geography. Eastern Asia covers mainly North Korea and South Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan.

There are two quasi-dependent territories, Hong Kong and Macau, under Chinese sovereignty. Eastern Asia is surrounded by Siberia and Russia in the north, Central Asia to the west, southeast Asia, and the Pacific Ocean in the east.

In the southwest, there is South Asia while, in the southeast, there is Micronesia. Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, and Seoul are major world metropolises of the East Asian region, with Tokyo in Japan being the largest city by population.

The region also boasts some of the biggest ports of the world, with Singapore being the largest, and Shanghai also a major port.

Coastal and riparian areas are the most populated, with Mongolia and Western China having fewer people. People here live in temperate climate zones.

Coastal regions of Southern China and Central China, South Korea, and Japan have a humid temperate climate. The exceptions include Southeast Asia, with steady rainfall throughout the year, and Western China, where the temperature remains cold.

Mongolia’s Altay Mountains, the Mongolian Plateau, and the Gobi Desert act as borders between Eastern Asia and Russia. From Western to Northeastern China, the Huang He River, aka the Yellow River, is one of the major rivers of East Asia.

The riverbanks of this region have fertile soil and are adequate for agricultural purposes. With innovations, even the hilly terrain has become useful for agricultural production.

The History Of East Asia

After finding out its geography, let's now look at the history of East Asia. The largest area, China, is also known as the Cradle of Eastern Civilization, as it had a sophisticated culture as far back as 2000 B.C.E.

Chinese economic influence and cultural exchange was important for the growth of Eastern Asia for more than two millennia under the Han dynasty. Being the first literate nation, they influenced Japan and Korea linguistically.

The Han dynasty's northeastern expansion affected Korea, as the Chinese writing system, monetary system, agrarian practices, and Confucian political institutions influenced Korea. And Japanese language, culture, and record-keeping evolved from the Chinese writing system, enabling them to maintain historical records.

With the advent of the Tang dynasty, Japanese and Korean culture was incorporated with Chinese Confucianism, and again, China's architecture, political history, state institutions, religion, urban planning, various scientific and technological methods all had a bearing on Southeastern cultures.

Japan started adopting poetry, landscape painting, and calligraphy from Chinese culture, and laws from the Chinese legal system from 710 A.D. - 794 A.D.

During the 19th century, Chinese power started declining, and other parts of East Asia developed connections with Europe and the Western world. Japan became East Asia's first dominant industrialized nation from a feudal samurai state, as it had a more active geopolitical position.

Korea, Taiwan, much of eastern China and Manchuria, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia were incorporated by Japan's expansionism.

The Second World War made the Korean peninsula independent but it was divided into south and north Korea. 

Despite the '90s economic slowdown, Japan has remained a global economic power. Later, South Korea, Taiwan, and Mainland China joined the World Trade Organization and became major players on the international stage.

The Culture Of East Asia

East Asia's cultural influence has been mainly from northern and southern China, which was, for a long period, the dominant region. 

For instance, Japan and Korea embraced the Chinese calendar system, political and legal systems, religious beliefs, architectural style, terminology, the common writing system, and literature. In the ancient and medieval periods, the Imperial Chinese tributary system was responsible for conducting a network of trade and foreign relations. 

In the whole region, few religions were dominant over the years, although Chinese folk religions had approximately 900m followers. During the Eastern Han dynasty, religions that were practiced included Taoism in 125 A.D. with an average of 20m followers and East Asian Buddhism in 67 A.D. with approximately 300m followers.

Other religions that developed included Tibetan Buddhism, Shamanism, Shintoism, Shindo, and Ryukyuan.

Every year, from January 21 to February 20, Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Chinese, and, at the same time, Koreans celebrate Seollal aka Korean New Year. From January 25 to March 2, Tibetans celebrate White Moon, aka Losar or Tsagaan Sar.

Chinese people also celebrate Lantern Festival from February 4 to March 6, known as Upper Yuan Festival. There are a few other celebrations, like Ghost Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Lower Yuan Festival, Double Ninth Festival, and Small New Year celebrated by the Chinese.

Staple foods like jiaozi, yuan xiao, zongzi, mooncake, ciba, and tanggua are traditional among the Chinese, while torantang, ogok-bap, namul, chhaang, and tteokguk are all foods eaten in Korea.

The Economy Of East Asia

For the past three decades, East Asian economies have been doing impressively well.

Between 1960 and 1994, major East Asian economies have seen a per capita GDP of more than four per cent, which is good compared to developing economies and industrial countries. 

When other industrial countries were struggling, Eastern Asia managed to thrive. Research shows persistently high growth in many East Asian economies. For instance, in 2021, East Asia's nominal GDP was $25,008.58, with GDP nominal per capita $14,858, GDP PPP $36,659.52 and GDP PPP per capita $21,779.585.

Other Miscellaneous Facts About East Asia

Have you enjoyed reading some interesting East Asia facts about its history, culture, and economy? If so, read on the find out more fascinating facts you may not have known about the region.

China, Japan, and Korea are the three major economies of Northeast Asia according to the World Bank, and the core regions of Eastern Asia, with similar written language, culture, Confucian philosophical tenets, and societal values.

Vietnam was a part of the Chinese sphere of influence, but after modernization, the Vietnamese started developing their own culture.

Mongolia is in the north of Mainland China and grouped with Central Asian countries, such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Even East Turkestan and Tibet are in Central Asia. Based on statistical convenience, the United Nations Statistic Division (UNSD) made a general overview of East Asia.

East Asia FAQs

What is East Asia known for?

East Asia is renowned for having one of the world's most prosperous economies, as well as boasting a rich history, huge population, and diverse culture.

Who discovered East Asia?

Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to discover East Asia.

What are the countries in East Asia?

Eastern Asia covers Hong Kong, North and South Korea, Japan, Macau, China, and Taiwan.

What is the climate of East Asia?

Eastern Asia has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

What is the population of East Asia?

East Asia is densely populated with 1.7 bn people.

Why is East Asia so cold?

Having a temperate climate, some parts of Eastern Asia can encounter severe cold because of the Siberian High.

What is the vegetation of East Asia?

Forests and alpine tundra are the most commonly seen vegetation of Eastern Asia.

What country in East Asia has the lowest population?

Macau has the lowest population, with 649,335 people.

Which country in East Asia has the largest population?

China has the largest population, with 1.4 bn people.

Why is East Asia's history essential to world history?

East Asia's unique tradition, culture, and historical events make East Asia's history essential to world history within Asian Studies.

How did China influence East Asia?

Chinese literary and scholarly traditions and Confucian statecraft influenced Eastern Asia.

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