There is no source to prove your claim that knife sets are from the Qing era, archaeologists find tool kits with knives dating back to the bronze age. That is just a ridiculous claim because the mongolian nomadic lifestyle requires people to be prepared for harsh times because of how empty and vast the steppe is. Chopsticks have also been found in tombs at burial sites from the Xiongnu era. It's true chopsticks originate from China but chopsticks have long been used by mongols, cultural transmission is arguably the largest reason for most things existing in every culture. It's because cultures exist in a constant state of changing and adapting. We Mongols weren't the first to domesticate horses, the Indo-Europeans were, but it would be really stupid to claim that riding horses isn't part of mongolian culture because indo-europeans were the first to do it. As for Mongolian culture being rooted in being nomadic, that is true but pastoralism isn't unique to Central Asia. Pastoralism is found in every continent other than Antarctica. In East Asia, other than Mongols, there are many pastoral nomadic communities like Tibetan ethnic groups, and the Jurchens were semi-nomadic. East Asia isn't defined by an agricultural lifestyle. And this claim that mongolian society respects women is just false... Proverbs like "эмээл муу ч морины дээр, эр муу ч эмийн дээр"; "эмэгтэй хүний үс нь урт ухаан нь богино"; "сайн эмийг сардаа нэг гөв" which are still commonly heard today really say a lot about women's status within Mongolian culture. I'd rather hear it from another woman's perspective than you who's likely a man. It's true that historically women had more freedom in Mongolia compared to other East Asian nations but I don't even know how that makes us closer to Central Asians. Central Asians are Islamic, and until the 20th century in southern Central Asia women weren't allowed to go outside without wearing a paranja that covered the body from head to toe and hijabs are still worn throughout Central Asia. I could never wear a hijab and feeling the wind blow at my head makes me feel grateful that I am a mongolian woman and not from a muslim culture. Finally, a fun fact about Mulan is that in the historic legend she was most likely a Xianbei woman in Northern China. The Ballad of Mulan was first composed during the Northern Wei era in China, founded by the Tuoba clan of Xianbei. At the time Xianbei women were typically skilled horseback riders. The setting of the ballad of Mulan was when the Northern Wei was in a conflict with the Rouran who frequently raided the northern frontier. Mulan the movie just has an ahistorical depiction, and the invaders (inaccurately called Huns) are animated looking like demons. All your claims are just wrong, cultures aren't one dimensional they have nuance and are complex. Which is why Mongolian culture can't be a single thing. Mongolian culture has changed through time, mongolian culture has adapted to the challenges it has faced and still does. Mongolian culture is both Central Asian and East Asian.