<P> China has occupied the prominent, central role in East Asia for most of recorded history, as it "deeply influenced the culture of the peripheral countries and also drew them into a China - centered (...) international order", that virtually remained in effect until the early 20th century . Highly ritualized, the Imperial Chinese Tributary System, based on the religious and philosophical idea of submission to celestial harmony was also recognized by nations beyond, in Southeast Asia in particular . Ceremonies were presided over by the Emperor of China as the Son of Heaven and curator of the Mandate of Heaven . In elaborate ceremonies both, the tributary state and the various Chinese dynasties agreed to mutually favorable economic co-operation and beneficial security policies . </P> <P> Defining East Asian cultural characteristics are the Chinese language influences and traditional writings systems, as well as shared religious and ethic ideas, that are represented by the Three teachings Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism . The Chinese script is one of the oldest continuously used writing systems in the world, and has been a major unifying force and medium for conveying Chinese culture in East Asia . Historically used throughout the region and it is still in use by ethnic Chinese throughout the world, as well as in Japan and to a small and waning extent in South Korea . </P> <P> However, as Chinese writing concepts were passed on to Korea, Japan and Vietnam, these nations developed their own characteristic writing systems as the cultural expression of their language families, such as Vietnamese, an Austro - Asiatic language; Japanese, a Japonic language; and Korean, a Koreanic language . Whereas Chinese is still found in the historical roots of many borrowed words, modern Chinese has been influenced by other Asian languages, such as by modern technical and political terms created in Japan to represent western concepts known as Wasei - kango . </P> <P> Apart from the unifying influence of Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese characters and numerous other Chinese cultural influences, East Asian national customs, architecture, literature, cuisines, traditional music, performing arts and crafts also have developed from many independent and local concepts, they have grown and diversified as many rank among the most refined expressions of aesthetic, artistic and philosophical ideas in the world . Notable among others are Japanese gardens and landscape planning, Heian literature, Vietnamese Water puppetry and the artifacts of the Dong Son culture . Modern research has also focused on the several nations pivotal role on the collective body of East Asian Buddhism and the Korean influence on Japanese culture . Constricted for a long time by ethnic nationalism and antagonism, the nature of mutual cultural interchange in East Asia is only partly known . </P>

Which major cultural elements contributed to the human diversity of south asia