Censorate⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000680 **Origin.** Qin dynasty origins; elaborated through Han, Tang, and subsequent dynasties. An institutionalized system of surveillance and criticism within the imperial bureaucracy.
Guanxi Networks⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000728 **Origin.** Ancient roots in Confucian relationship ethics; persists as a distinctive feature of Chinese business and political culture.
Imperial Examination System⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000824 **Origin.** Formalized during the Sui dynasty (605 CE); reached mature form in the Tang and Song dynasties; persisted until 1905. The longest-running meritocratic selection system in human history.
Legalist Statecraft⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000760 **Origin.** Han Fei Zi (3rd century BCE); synthesizing earlier Legalists including Shang Yang and Shen Buhai. The theoretical foundation of the Qin state that unified China.