Integrating more "Silk-punk" content?
by Marc SaindonSome might be content with Ochalea as Classical China with a bit of Wu Xia mixed into it, but I think a Mystara Chinese culture setting should distinguish itself from the more mainstream Oriental Adventures and Legend of the 5 Rings.
If you read the original descriptions on Ochalea, it's "they love peace and not much happens". That might be fun to live in, but not to adventure in.
My thought is that they're a peaceful people. Peace is more likely to be achieved with neutrality or law, so the Ochaleans are more Lawful and Neutral than Chaotic as a general tendency (if you take in consideration just Basic D&D alignment). Ochalea will have a cultural disbalance towards Law or at least against Chaos, which creates a mindset that is more likely to produce the Lawful (or methodical) Classes like Mystic/Monk, Paladin, Artificer, academic Wizards, Clerics. (Paradoxically, excess of Law might cause more Chaotic individuals to lash out, producing its share of Chaotic-aligned heroes).
With a structured society with bureaucratic exams of classical China, Classes like the Artificers are going to have an easier time to develop themselves and their infrastructure, even if the DM has their time wasted on Rube Golberg machines (like the Tinker Gnomes of DL) to preserve the medieval technology stasis. But what if you don't? While not making Ochalea as advanced as Serraine, ideas of steam-punk and automatons aren't that far-fetch.
In what direction would you take Ochalea if you ran a campaign mostly in it?
(Image from: Wing Luke Museum https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/visual-arts/wing-luke-museum-highlights-asian-pacific-americans-in-sci-fi-in-worlds-beyond-here/)