In what ways did climate and geography influence the development of Ancient Chinese culture?

Like all civilizations, geography and climate played an important role in the history and culture of China. The climate is most favorable in the eastern side of China because monsoons bring plenty of rainfall to sustain farming. In fact, the earliest Chinese civilizations and most powerful dynasties of China's history developed along two rivers in the East. These rivers were the Yangtze in the south, in which rice farming was common, and the northern Huang He River where millet was cultivated. Because of the rivers and fertile loess soil, surplus agricultural goods led to the development of civilization. The dominance of farming on the eastern side of China led to the development of a strict social order.

Western China is dominated by deserts, high steppes, mountains and even jungles in some places. Due to the harsh nature of the climate and landscape, western China effectively isolated eastern China from the rest of the world. As a result, China developed its own culture without the influence of Europe or Africa. As you can imagine, the western part of China has always been sparsely populated. In earlier times, the region was dominated by nomadic horseman. These groups, because of the grit and determination that was needed to survive the harsh geography, would become a powerful force in the world. The nomadic horseman of western China became the Mongol empire that controlled all of China.