Prep 2024 - General: Brainstorm #1

The world Xiang and He live in resembles Ancient China, but it doesn’t take place in our world past or present. This is an alternate world where the land masses are formed differently and the cultures we know on Earth don’t exist. I do see the geography XIang and He’s country resembling China, so it’ll be a good jumping point to figure out fashion, cuisine, etc. That way I don’t make a “Copy+Paste Ancient China”.

China’s geography consists of mountains, plateaus, and rivers. Riverbanks are common places for people to settle in. They provide fresh water for drinking, farming, and travel.

My knowledge of farming in China lands on one word: rice. I know about rice paddies, but I need to look beyond that to explore my fictional country’s agriculture and cuisine.

Mountains provide barriers between countries and provinces. My immediate assumption is that mountains would make trade with other countries difficult, but I also know humanity has found ways around obstacles such as them. Would they carve roads along mountainsides? Would these be paved?