The culture of the Han Chinese, also called ‘Huaxia culture' or ‘Chinese culture', is rich and varied and a culture of great importance that was created by ancestors of the Chinese people through long-term production and practical implementation in society. During the long epoch prior to more recent times, culture of this type was the most advanced in the world, and it generated a strong radiation that exerted influence on the surrounding countries and territories, especially the East Asian nations of Korea and Japan, and even the states of South-east Asia, including Vietnam.

Not only was Korea the first state in the world to import Chinese characters and Confucian culture, but to some extent, its veneration of Confucian culture was even stronger than in China where the thought system was born. The influence and manifestation of Confucianism was thus especially evident in East Asian Korea. This lecture will principally discuss ‘the transmission of Chinese characters and Confucian thought' and ‘the influence of Chinese characters on the Confucian record-keeping culture of the Joseon period'.