It is no surprise that the cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender is directly influenced by Chinese culture. Some more obvious cultural influences are tea, the use of chopsticks, the background music inspired by traditional Chinese music, and the use of the character writing system. However, this analysis will go deeper into the elements of how Chinese culture is seen throughout the world-building and many cultures of the Avatar universe.
The Four Nations:
Out of the four nations (Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads), Chinese influence is most found in the Earth Kingdom. However, Chinese culture is present throughout all nations.
The Water Tribe (spoilers):
There aren’t too many similarities between China and the Water Tribe because the Water Tribe is mainly based off of Inuit and Polynesian culture. Interestingly, though, a main part of the plot of Book One does have a few resemblances here and there. For example, Princess Yue’s (pronounced You-a) story is based off the ancient tale of the moon goddess Chang’e (嫦娥 Cháng’é). Additionally, the name Yue also has a direct connection to the word 月 (Yuè), which means moon in Chinese. Furthermore, the arranged marriages in the Water Tribe are very similar to Chinese arranged marriages. There is also some Chinese influence in the architecture, and elements of Daoism (道教 Dàojiào) like Yin and Yang, for example, are also referenced throughout book one.
The Earth Kingdom:
The Earth Kingdom is known to be one of the most diverse communities in Avatar. The diversity can be compared to China’s vast number of different ethnicities and dialects. Though most people are of the Han ethnic group (汉族 Hànzú) in China, the people still celebrate different parts of Chinese culture.
Architecture:
Earth Kingdom architecture is similar to Chinese architecture in a variety of ways. The city of Ba Sing Se is based on the capital of China, Beijing (北京) because of how the city was once similarly isolated. The walls of Ba Sing Se can also be compared to the Great Wall of China. The lower ring is also similar to the many markets and towns that can be found in the Jiangxi Province (江西省 Jiāngxī shěng).
Furthermore, the Royal Palace is based on the Forbidden City because of the similar designs and architecture, though one main difference is that the Forbidden City is not round like the Royal Palace.
Food and Beverages:
The cuisine in the Earth Kingdom also has many classic dishes such as roast duck, dumplings, soup, egg custard tarts, and cactus juice (found in the Si Wong desert, courtesy of Captain Boomerang aka Sokka), which isn’t common in China but is very important to the plot.
Clothing and Fashion:
Like many ancient civilizations, the outfits that people from the Earth Kingdom wear are based on their social class. The clothing worn by the citizens are also inspired by the clothing from the Chinese dynasties. For example, the clothing that the Beifongs wear are greatly inspired by the clothing of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 Táng cháo).
Additionally, the elaborate headpieces and the Earth King’s outfit are inspired by the outfits of the Qing Dynasty (清朝 Qīngcháo). Another example are the soldier’s uniforms, which also resemble ancient uniforms in China.
Plot (spoilers):
Another interesting similarity is the government rule during ancient China and Ba Sing Se. Both places controlled the flow of information and used propaganda to influence their people. Additionally, the Dai Li resemble the secret police, which were a force employed by the ruler once present in China. Lake Laogai is also a reference to reeducation camps that were used to exterminate government opposition, similar to how the residents of Ba Sing Se were brainwashed.
Fire Nation:
The Fire Nation’s greatest similarity with China is its architecture. For example, the Fire Temple is a near replica of Chinese pagodas.
Moreover, places like the Fire Nation Capital are based on ancient imperial cities. Another connection to China is how Prince Zuko’s relationship with his father mirrors the idea of filial piety (孝 Xiào), which is a tenet of Confucianism (儒 Rú). Some other things that are similar are the Fire Nation military uniforms and Fire Nation clothing, which resemble Hanfu/Chinese clothing (汉服 Hànfú). Furthermore, the Fire Nation food also resembles Szechuan-style cuisine (四川菜 Sìchuān cài).
The Air Nomads:
The air nomads are mainly influenced by Buddhist and Tibetan culture. They are based off of real monks including the shaved heads, outfits, and practices. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, they use toys from old Avatars to determine the new reincarnated Avatar by having children pick out toys from the pile, and those who pick possessions of the last Avatar are determined to be the new Avatar. Similarly, the Tibetan Monks also use this technique to determine the new Dalai Lama. Lastly, the temples of the Air Nomads are also very similar to the pagodas of the Shaolin Temple (少林寺 Shàolínsì) in China.
Sources:
https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Influences_on_the_Avatar_franchise
https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Fashion_in_the_World_of_Avatar#Earth_Kingdom
https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Architecture_in_the_World_of_Avatar#Earth_Kingdom
https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Cuisine_in_the_World_of_Avatar#Earth_Kingdom
This is so cool! Clearly, a lot of it was based upon Chinese culture but I didn’t know there were so many elements of the cartoon that were modeled after Chinese Culture. I think the most interesting association was how Ba Sing Se was connected to China’s government with the use of propaganda and brainwashing. Another thing that I thought was interesting was the architecture and the other little details such as the clothing and food that were illustrated in the cartoon. Lastly, something that I learned a while ago was that the martial arts style used in the show was also modeled after Chinese Martial arts.
Wow! I used to watch this show all the time as a kid and I knew that there were Asian culture undertones within the show. But this article makes those connections much more apparent. I think its funny how there is a similarity between Ba Sing Se and the Chinese government. Looking back, it makes a lot of sense but I would’ve never realized if it wasn’t for this article. Overall, the clothing and the setting for the show made the connection with China pretty easy and I like how the directors of the show intentionally did all of this. Keep up the good work!
Amazing article! While watching this show as a child, I remember thinking that there were definitely some aspects of Chinese culture combined into the show, but I wasn’t aware of some of the aspects you mentioned. For example, I learned that Ba Sing Se’s lower ring is similar to the many markets and towns that can be found in the Jiangxi Province. I also had no idea that Lake Laogai is also a reference to reeducation camps that were used to exterminate government opposition. I find it so interesting all the similarities you were able to pick up on!
Great article! I’ve watched Avatar before, but I never noticed the references to Chinese culture. I’ll make sure to look out for them the next time I watch! Thank you for writing this article, it was a fun read.
Great article, Alexia! I remember watching this show when I was a child, and I could definitely recognize some influences of Chinese in the show, such as the food, clothing, and architecture, but I was unaware of the Chinese influence in other aspects of the show. I find it really interesting that Princess Yue’s story is based on the ancient tale of the moon goddess Chang’e, which was something talked about in class during the Mid-Autumn festival. I really like how the show has these connections to Chinese culture because it makes the world of Avatar feel a lot bigger. Thanks for the article!
Great article! Growing up, I used to love watching this show. I loved that it incorporated a little bit of culture into the show. I was able to connect to the show because of this, which is why it is probably my favorite show of all time. Thanks for sharing!
This was super interesting to read! I love Avatar and I noticed how religion was incorporated in the air nomads as well as the prominent Chinese architecture in fire nation. However, I never realized how similar the earth kingdom was to china. What I found really interesting was how much the government rule in the earth kingdom resembled that of ancient china because of how both took advantage of the flow of information and propaganda to influence and brainwash their people. I also love the connections of ba sing se’s food, clothing, and architecture to that of ancient china’s. great job!
I watched a bit of Avatar when I was younger. However, I don’t think I ever really made those connections that the show was influenced by Chinese culture. It’s so cool to learn about how Chinese culture has inspired many elements seen in Avatar. This is a terrific article!
Wow! I always new there was some Chinese influence on the show, but I never knew it was this extensive. Might have to rewatch to see the details!
I loved the show and there were some references that I’ve noticed but I was never able to analyze it like this! It’s so interesting to find out how there are many references to the chinese culture in Avatar. I never knew the Fire Temple was a replica to Chinese pagodas.
I really enjoyed watching avatar and I DEEPLY appreciate how you enlightened me of the origins and inspirations of this show. I had no idea that the Earth Kingdom’s architecture is similar to Chinese architecture in a variety of ways. This will change the way I look at the show, thank you.
I watched this show as a kid and I picked up on some of the details in the show that was influenced by Chinese cultures, but never to this extent. It’s fascinating how even the architecture is derived from Chinese culture. This is really interesting to read and analyze!
I have never really watched about Avatar but I was aware of it´s existence. So this is very cool to be able to see the influence.
Thanks for a very interesting article. I enjoyed watching Avatar a couple of years ago, but I did not understand the deep amount of information about China’s history and culture that was covered in the show. I also did not analyze the pictures too deeply, as I was more focused on the plot. It was interesting to see how the Fire Temple is similar to the Chinese architecture and other buildings.
I always watched Avatar when I was younger and I loved the show as a kid. I knew that there were some Chinese aspects throughout the show but I never knew what those certain things actually were. It is really crazy to find out that most of the architecture in Avatar relate really closely to ones found in China.
I liked the show when I was younger an noticed some similarities between their culture and Chinese culture. I never realized ow many similarities there were until I read this article!
Wow, your analysis is so in depth and detailed! I watched a bit of The Last Airbender when I was a child, and I did notice the most major similarities and influences of Chinese culture. However, I never knew there were so many, even down to the arranged marriages and the style of the markets and towns. Great job overall!
I’ve always known that ATLA was based on Chinese culture, but I never knew why. I’ve learned many similarities between the show and reality. I also really like how this article is very detailed. Well done!
This is really cool! While watching the show, I also noticed a lot of it was based on things in Chinese culture but I didn’t know that it was entirely modeled after Chinese Culture. My favorite part is how Ba Sing Se is equivalent to China’s government with the use of propaganda and brainwashing. Chinese architecture, clothes, and food being used in the cartoon were also very cool. Another cool thing is how the bending styles were modeled straight from Chinese martial arts.
WOW!!!!!!!! I absolutely love Avatar the Last Airbender!! This is so fascinating and I learned so much! I never knew that ATLA was based on Chinese Culture, no wonder it’s so amazing. Great article!!
When I watched Avatar the Last Airbender as a child, I also noticed that the architecture, clothing, and food were heavily inspired by Chinese culture. However, I didn’t know that Yue’s backstory was based on an actual ancient tale about a moon goddess. I liked how this article analyzed the connection between Avatar and Chinese culture so deeply. Good job!
I loved reading this article because I have rewatched this show many times. I always knew they drew a lot of aspects based on Asian cultures, but I never knew the specificities to Chinese culture. Now that I look at it, I realized how much the city of Ba Sing Se resembles the previous Chinese governments. I also now easily notice the clothing and architecture that I was to ignorant to notice when I was a child.
Great read! I loved Avatar as I kid and have rewatched it every few years. I’ve watched videos about the Chinese influence in avatar before, yet this article was still very enthralling. I think this is an amazing example of what makes both Avatar and Chinese culture so amazing and beautiful.
This article is detailed and has many fascinating facts! I’ve watched Avatar: The Last Airbender and I believe I recall seeing several Chinese cultural aspects in the architecture, characters, and plot. I also had no idea that out of the four nations the Earth kingdom had resembled China the most and the fashion of the Earth Kingdom was related to Chinese culture by wearing different clothes based on social class.
Wow this was so interesting because I loved watching this show when I was younger. I never really stopped to think about how Chinese culture influenced the show. The most intriguing part while reading was realizing that out of the four nations, the Earth Kingdom resembled China the most in terms of architecture and how people were dressed. I knew that there were some similarities because i recognized some traditions in my own life, but looking further into the show there are so many ways chinese culture has influenced Avatar.
I’ve been meaning to start watching Avatar for a while now, and this has finally motivated me! I think its really cool how many parallels can be drawn between the show and Chinese culture.
I have watched avatar on cable tv before but never really noticed the cultural influence china had on it. It is interesting how they based some of their buildings and structure on ancient models and their lifestyle and cultural references. Their implementation of it that blended so seemly. I would definitely look forward to see these details whenever I see Avatar.
THIS IS AN AMAZING ARTICLE!! although I’ve never gotten around to watching ATLA, I’ve heard much about it and your writing has piqued my interest in the show once again. Now that I think about it, from the clips and trailers I’ve seen I do see a resemblance between the show and aspects of Chinese culture. I am so excited to get to know more and experience the show. It feels is more important to me that I watch the show now that I know its background. thanks so much!
When I was little I used to watch that show all the time. To see that there are connections between the show and the Chinese culture is really interesting. Now that I look at it, I realized how much the city of Ba Sing Se resembles the previous Chinese governments. There are a lot of similarities between the show and China.
I’ve always thought that one of the best aspects of Avatar was its cultural influences, and its Chinese influence is especially interesting. I knew Princess Yue’s name was based off the Chinese word for moon, but I never made the connection to the tale of Chang’e! I love how all the kingdoms have some piece of Chinese culture, from fashion to architecture to traditions.
that the four nations were based on the Chinese culture about element. When I was little I used to watch that show all the time. and the black fish and the white fish when I was watching I knew it had something to do with yin and yang. yah it reminds me of a good old show