The diagram consists of two sides, black and white, which resemble two fish, so it is also known as the Taiji Fish (太极鱼) by the Chinese. The white half represents yang (positive, bright and upward) and the black half represents yin (negative, dark and downward), while the white has a black dot in the middle, and the black has a white dot in the middle, so the combination of yin and yang forms the basic concept of Taoism in ancient Chinese philosophy.

First of all, the appearance of the Taiji diagram I think explains the notion of borderlands very well. When two cultures meet, at a cursory glance one would think that there are clear boundaries on the external surface of the two cultures, which cannot be integrated, just like the yin and the yang in the Taiji diagram, and that the two cultures are not quite the same in terms of their economic, social, and political conditions, which seems to be an antagonistic dualism.

But the phenomenon changes when we take a closer look at the internal situation of our own culture and compare it in detail with that of another culture. We find that no matter what the external economic and political environment is, there are always similarities in the internal logic and thinking of the culture. For example, human beings’ pursuit of beauty and success. Like the white dot in the black part of the Taiji diagram. Even this similarity that exists within can cause transformation and change in the whole. The Taoist philosophical work, Tao Te Ching(道德经), contains many words that reflect the transformation and integration that can occur between yin and yang. For example, ‘曲则全，枉则直’ meaning that sometimes bending will preserve you, and if you are pressed, you will straighten. This dialectical thinking explains that borderlands where two cultures meet is a state of unity and opposites, and that there are elements within one culture that are similar to those of the other, and that the two cultures have the opportunity to transform and integrate with each other.

From a macro point of view, just as the two yin and yang fish form a Taiji diagram, only the two cultures in communication can form the overall borderlands. As another famous saying in the Tao Te Ching says, ‘万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。’(Everything is negative to the yin and holds the yang, and the two qi are in harmony) It is the symbiosis of yin and yang that leads to a harmonious and unified world.

In addition, the historical development of Taiji diagram and the philosophical ideas behind them are themselves capable of expressing the meaning of borderlands. Taiji culture itself is of Chinese origin, but over the millennia, as the Chinese cultural circle formed, Taiji diagram spread widely and influenced several Asian countries. For example, Korean culture has learnt and promoted the art of Taiji Quan(太极拳), and the Korean national flag, 태극기, is derived from Taiji diagram. Japanese culture similarly learnt the Taoist ideas and related art forms of Taiji, and the Japanese word 太極 is a derivative of the Chinese word 太极.

Although part of the meaning of Taiji diagram has remained unchanged in Japan and Korea, the forms of expression and specific content have changed slightly, and they are in a state of opposition and unity with the Taiji diagram of Chinese culture. In this context, the meaning of Taiji diagram is itself a kind of borderlands.

Below are demonstration videos of Chinese and Korean Taiji Quan that I found, so you can get a feel for the similarities and differences between them as you watch.

Korean: https://youtu.be/JHWYqerDqWk?si=VIFofxk5jBKx3_6A

Chinese: https://youtube.com/shorts/KQ0xV1UroQ8?si=gq6Abb1R-pElUXEc