Clothing was a huge part of Chinese culture, and silk was a big part of that. Silk itself was essential to Chinese people, and only the upper class could wear silk. Men would wear silk tunics slightly shorter than the ankle-length tunics the women would wear. During winter, hemp was used to make warm jackets. It was believed that tigers and different emblems, when sewn onto clothes, would ward off bad spirits. This was the same reason the rich would sew on dragons, not only for warding spirits but to display their wealth. Nobles were the only ones allowed to wear different colors, peasants would only be allowed to wear black or blue clothes.

 Religion also proved important, with two main ones rising to the top. One was about a man named Confucius, an influential thinker whose ideas became super popular throughout China. This formed Confucianism, an ancient Chinese belief system that focuses on the importance of personal ethics and morality. The other main religion was Daoism, which emphasized that rulers should not interfere with people's private lives; it is believed that the natural order of the universe and how things are meant to be should stay that way. Although both philosophies differ vastly, they have shaped much of China's culture and norms.

 Lastly, China began to develop a language in which, instead of stringing together individual letters to form a word, they used single characters for each word. This writing system was vastly different than the European or Middle Eastern versions, intentionally complex, encouraging the rise of a literate elite that gained power and influence. This literate class allowed the culture and history of China to continue, and since wealth was heavily generational in China, literate people were often found in groups with power.