The advanced technologies, elegant arts, and sophisticated administrative systems of the neighboring Chinese lands were prized throughout the East Asian world. Emissaries from Korean and Japanese courts were awed by the majestic sight of Chang'an 長安, capital of the Han empire, to the point that their respective rulers and elites made a great effort in importing Chinese culture. In this region, societies that were transitioning from a chiefdom society to a state society looked upon their powerful neighbor not only as a potential trade partner but also as the standard of civilization.
However, the importation and adoption of Chinese culture, technology, and administration was not blind acceptance and copying. The Japanese and the Korean kingdoms were selective about what they imported and the things that they imported often were localized to suit the conditions and situations of their culture. By localizing imported culture and keeping aspects of the old local traditions akindle, the early Koreans were thus able to lay the foundations and develop their own unique civilization.
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