Like with the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom’s currency comes in denominations of bronze, silver, and gold. However, unlike the island empire, typical EK money appears to be cast into a very uniform shape and size. This mold of a round coin with a square hole in the middle is known in Chinese as fāng kǒng qián (方孔錢) or “square-holed money”. This style of coin was used in China from the 4th century BC until the 20th century AD, over 2000 years. Other currencies based on this coin include the Japanese mon, Korean mun, and Vietnamese văn. Nowadays, these coins are primarily used for good luck charms and divination.
The “round coin, square hole” design is both practical and symbolic. From a practical perspective, the holes in the coins allows them to be strung through a thin rope, making them easy to carry and spend in large quantities. Instead of counting each coin individually, a seller could simply measure the length of the the coin-rope to determine how much they were being paid. This technique was essentially the Imperial Chinese equivalent to the modern day coin wrapper.
From a symbolic and artistic perspective, the design alludes to the idea of Tian Yuan Di Fang (天圓地方) or “Round Sky, Square Earth”. As the name implies, the square hole represents the element of earth and the round coin represents the sky. The two symbols combined represent two contrasting ideas unifying to create a whole, the steady land in harmony with the ever-changing heavens. I guess the ancient Chinese conception of planet Earth was sort of like a piece of paper floating in a dome or bubble.
Anyways, considering the symbolism behind the coin design, it’s a very appropriate form of currency for the Earth Kingdom. Essentially, the square earth centered on a round sky could reflect a nationalistic belief that their country is the center of the world. Certainly, the way that Ba Sing Se is structured and ruled implicitly reflects this belief. It would also explain why the “Round Sky, Square Earth” motif shows up on other objects throughout the Earth Kingdom.
In Part 2, I’ll discuss the history behind the uniquely-shaped gold that Toph’s parents offer for her ransom. Because of course the obscenely wealthy Beifongs wouldn’t pay using mere commoner’scoins…
dumb takes I’ve seen today: americans claiming they’d rather clean up after dirty muddy shoes on a carpet than have people walk around on “stinky” bare feet… and other americans supporting them by saying they feel “insecure” taking their shoes off… besties pls just wash ur feet they won’t stink then OR wear fucking socks :/ take them shoes off.
Wait until you find out that Americans wear their house slippers outside too. We just don’t give a shit.
Furthermore! A lot of the perceived rudeness comes from the fact that taking off your shoes shows a level of comfort and unwillingness to leave that a lot of people don’t like. Taking off your shoes in a shoes-on house is seen as the equivalent of like… Using someone’s shower without asking.
Also the foot smell thing is real. We don’t have the infrastructure or cultural habits to clean our feet after being on them all day, so they’re generally very smelly, which creates the perceived illusion of dirt when the soles of your shoes are way dirtier.
you are completely out of your mind OP sorry someone reblogged this from me
…. WHAT FOOT WASHING INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE … ???
americans will be like we don’t wash our dirty and smelly feet because we don’t have foot washing classes in school or showers/ bathtubs in our homes its so bad here like a third world country
An adult American can’t wash their feet because they weren’t taught how in third grade because their school system sucks, it’s not their fault.
“We don’t have the infrastructure to clean our feet” You mean a shower?? You mean a fucking shower???
SOUTHWEST AMERICAN HERE: WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF AND DON’T CLEAN YOUR FEET REGULARLY OR DO SOMETHING IF YOUR SHOES START TO SMELL. LIKE TAKING YOUR SHOES OFF AND CLEANING YOUR FEET AND WASHING YOUR SHOES IS REGULAR HERE AND I LEGIT HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE REST OF YOU
