For me, it would be the birth of Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 207 BC, not to be confused with the Manchu dominated Qing Dynasty from 1644 to 1912). It marked the first implication of Chinese Imperial System as we know. Also, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇), was highly anti-Confucian, and ordered the purge of Confucian intellectuals and burned many books on Confucianism. He did encourage Chinese to do more research on science and medicine though. It was only later on, during Han Dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), that Confucianism became a state philosophy for China – but even then, the Confucianism was a lot different than the one we knew – today’s Confucianism of East Asia was a distorted version of neo-Confucianism began during Song Dynasty (AD 960 to 1279), revived by MacArthur and mixed with that…modern age East Asian bullshit, to boost its industrial-ness.
If Qin Shi Huang managed to keep his dynasty longer and wasn’t replaced by Confucian-minded Han Dynasty, then maybe things would turn out differently. Everyone in East Asia may be more comfortable than wearing gently-vibrating underwear.
Qin Shi Huang was an exceptional figure that is born once in the blue moon. Like Alexander the Great, or Stalin. Usually a decline comes after strong men create good times.
Insomniac Resurrected 
For me, it would be the birth of Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 207 BC, not to be confused with the Manchu dominated Qing Dynasty from 1644 to 1912). It marked the first implication of Chinese Imperial System as we know. Also, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇), was highly anti-Confucian, and ordered the purge of Confucian intellectuals and burned many books on Confucianism. He did encourage Chinese to do more research on science and medicine though. It was only later on, during Han Dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), that Confucianism became a state philosophy for China – but even then, the Confucianism was a lot different than the one we knew – today’s Confucianism of East Asia was a distorted version of neo-Confucianism began during Song Dynasty (AD 960 to 1279), revived by MacArthur and mixed with that…modern age East Asian bullshit, to boost its industrial-ness.
If Qin Shi Huang managed to keep his dynasty longer and wasn’t replaced by Confucian-minded Han Dynasty, then maybe things would turn out differently. Everyone in East Asia may be more comfortable than wearing gently-vibrating underwear.
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Qin Shi Huang was an exceptional figure that is born once in the blue moon. Like Alexander the Great, or Stalin. Usually a decline comes after strong men create good times.
LikeLiked by 1 person