ABSTRACT
Parallel themes are considered in the second chapter focusing on the cultures of central and eastern Asia. Harappan culture forms a baseline contemporary with those of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Buddhism of the Mauryan Empire rooted its teachings in both nature and the sacred Bodhi Tree. The Chinese cosmologies of geomancy and the Book of Changes, which have their origins in the second millennium, are documented by the time of Confucius, along with the rules for designing imperial cities and building more generally. The chapter concludes by considering Genghis Khan’s imperial city (modern-day Beijing) and Marco Polo’s description of the paradise city of Quinsai.
