How Did Confucianism Influence Ancient Chinese Culture

The Spaniards, the Chinese, and the French
In the 15th century, Spain became the originator of the age of exploration. To begin with, the Renaissance had recently started and there was an eager love for culture and exploration. Art was an extremely important part of culture in Spain. Gothic art was probably one of the largest styles of art in Spain, this was a result of the Cistercian Order. Examples of this style of art are the monasteries of Poblet and Santes Creus and the Cathedrals of Leon, Burgos and Toledo. Near the end of the 15th century, art from the Italian Renaissance, became more prominent. The Charles V Palace and the El Escorial monastery, were very famous in the area of architecture. And of course, the famous figures of El Greco
The emperor, Hung-Wu, molded his imperial government according to the traditions and beliefs of Confucius. Confucius was a famous philosopher who created a type of philosophy, Confucianism, a very influential piece of ancient Chinese culture, which many people adopted. Confucianism influenced culture through the building of sculptures resembling Confucius. Confucianism’s main focus was on the core values of the people and had a positive view on mankind. The Ming period can be described as a time of rebuilding, compared to the Renaissance, which was a time of rebirth and learning, around the same age. Although, not much learning occurred during this time, there was an immense period of exploration. During the 15th century, China’s enormous ships, measuring 400 feet long and 150 feet wide, traveled through the Indian Ocean. Under Chinese control, the ships exchanged their goods for spices, ivory, herbs, rare woods, and pearls, from the African and Arabian people. These great ships, commandeered by Cheng Ho, a Muslim eunuch, sailed a total of seven times between the years of 1405 and 1433. These multiple expeditions created many new trade routes for China that would result in the aid of stabilizing the economy after many years of war in centuries
Horrifyingly, Joan is taken by the Burgundians, given to the English, and burned at the stake in 1431. Following these events, the new duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, makes peace with Charles VII, the Dauphin, officially ending the civil war. By 1453 the English had been driven out of all France except Calais. (Tim Lambert, "A SHORT HISTORY OF FRANCE", 2013, p. 1) The French victory led to the king gaining power over Aquitaine, Normandy and Burgundy. The French culture can be described as an isolated topic, rarely influenced by the other cultures surrounding France. There was a high focus on the vernacular writing. For example, Jean Froissart and Philippe de Commynes, historians. Also, poets, Guillaume de Machaut and Christine de Pizan. And, popular works, for example, the Book of Hours written by the Limoges brothers for the Duc de Berry. To summarize, France in the late Middle Ages, had loss and victories in war and territory, death and life, crazy leaders, and a vernacular