Eastern culture

An image of the "Eastern world" defined as the "Far East", consisting of three overlapping cultural blocks: East Asia (Green), South Asia (Orange), and Southeast Asia (Blue)

The East, as a geographical area, is unclear and undefined. More often, the ideology of a state's inhabitants is what will be used to categorize it as a Eastern society. There is some disagreement about what nations should or should not be included in the category and at what times. Many parts of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire are considered to be distinct from the west and therefore labelled as eastern by most scholars. The Byzantine empire was primarily influenced by eastern practices due to its proximity and cultural similarity to Iran and Arabia, thus lacking features seen as "Western".

It is difficult to determine which individuals fit into which category and the East–West contrast is sometimes criticized as relativistic and arbitrary.[1][2][3] Globalism has spread Western ideas so widely that almost all modern cultures are, to some extent, influenced by aspects of Eastern culture. Stereotypical views of "the East" have been labeled Orientalism, paralleling Occidentalism—the term for the 19th-century stereotyped views of "the West".

As Europeans discovered the smaller world, old concepts adapted. The area that had formerly been considered the Orient ("the East") became the Near East as the interests of the European powers interfered with Meiji Japan and Qing China for the first time in the 19th century.[4] Thus, the Sino-Japanese War in 1894–1895 occurred in the Far East while the troubles surrounding the decline of the Ottoman Empire simultaneously occurred in the Near East.[lower-alpha 1] The term Middle East in the mid-19th century included the territory east of the Ottoman Empire, but West of China—Greater Persia and Greater India—is now used synonymously with "Near East" in most languages.

Eastern culture has developed many themes and traditions. Some important ones are listed below:

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  Mongolian Buuz
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  Kebabs are a popular cuisine among Middle Easterners.
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  Round challah, a special bread in Jewish cuisine
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  Sushi has become prevalent even among westerners.
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  Armenian khash (or pacha), which is also commonly eaten by Assyrians, Arabs and Kurds.
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  Ramoji Film City located in Hyderabad, holds the Guinness World Record for the World's largest film studio.[10]
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  A movie theater in Qufu, Shandong
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  A Hindu temple in Sri Lanka.
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  The Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong.
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  A Syro-Malabar Catholic bishop holding the Mar Thoma Christian Cross which symbolizes the heritage and identity of the Syrian Church of Saint Thomas Christians of India
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  The Monastery of St. Matthew, located atop Mount Alfaf in northern Iraq, is recognized as one of the oldest Christian monasteries in existence.
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  Assyrian Christians from lake Urmia in north eastern Persia in their traditional costumes.
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  Mor Hananyo Monastery is located in the Syriac cultural region known as Tur Abdin in Turkey.
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  Chaldean Catholic from the town of Alqosh, Iraq.
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  Temple of Confucius in Liuzhou, Guangxi.
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  Maronite Church in Lebanon.
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  The Druze Maqam Nabi Shu'ayb.
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  The Western Wall and Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
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  Aerial view of Masada, Israel
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  Great synagogue in Afula, Israel
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  Great Mosque of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
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  Color drenched Gopis during the Holi celebrations in Krishna Temple, Mathura.
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  Minangkabau Tari Lilin (candle dance)
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  Izumo-taisha shrine in Izumo, Japan.

Families have a great importance in Eastern cultures. They teach their children about how the family is their protection and the major source of their identity. Parents expect loyalty from their children. Parents define the law and the children are expected to obey them. This is called filial piety, the respect for one's parents and elders, and it is a concept that originated in China as 孝 (xiao) from Confucian teachings.[11] Children are expected to have self-control, thus making it hard for them to express emotions. They are also expected to show respect through their motions and the way they speak. Children are expected to look after their parents when they grow older.[12] Sons are expected to stay home, while daughters eventually leave and live with their husband's family. In Chinese culture, children are occasionally expected to care for their elders (赡养), and in various diaspora communities one may find Chinese children living with their grandparents.

• Berger, Mark T. (1997). "The triumph of the East? The East-Asian Miracle and post-Cold War capitalism". In Borer, Douglas A. (ed.). The rise of East Asia: critical visions of the Pacific century. Routledge. pp. 260–261, 266. ISBN 0-415-16168-1.