A Study Of Song People's Knowledge Of Southeast Asian Countries

period and Song Dynasty, including private works and official historical warks.The number of private works in Han-tang period is large,but many of them were lost;private works in Song Dynasty are not only plentiful,but also conserved well.Official historical works accounted for Southeast Asian countries, reflecting poople's the knowledge of Southeast Asia area in different dynasties. Books in Han-tang period focused on the countries of land;books in Song described not only countries on land, but also island countries, especially the countries on south and east of route from China to India. Texts in Han—tang period recorded mainly on custom;texts in Song dynasty recorded mainly on location,products and tributary things. The texts writing about different Southeast Asian countries location and in different ways of description, and so on, tell us the different knowledge between Han-tang and Song people.The different knowledge mainly reflected in:first, Song people,knowledge of Souteast Asi,area had a expansion both about countries position and richness of infarmation,according to number, style, reservation of Song books. Second, comparing to lion-tang texts, the retard of Song texts is detailed and easy to demonstrate. Third, on base of expansion and accurateness,texts of Song had practical effect. There are many mythical and ambiguous words in texts of Han-tang. The detailed words in texts of Song dynasty are useful for voyage. Further more, the well reservation of books about knowledge of Southeast Asian countries in Song dynasty,indicates the higher practical value to people.The root cause of the different knowledge is that overseas trade evolved in Song dynast y. The direct cause is diverse ways of access to information of Southeast Asian countries. The shifting to southern of economy and traffic center in Song dynasty, provided the conditions for overseas trade and access to knowledge of Southeast Asian countries. Prom the view of status, ways of access to foreign knowledge include envoys, merchants, monks in both of Song dynasty and Southeast Asian countries, local official,emigrant,immigrant,historical records, and so on. Envoys and merchants are primary disseminators. For acquiring knowledge of foreign countries, Song dynasty official established a system of inquiry foreign envoys and keeping records.In short, Song people's knowledge of Southeast Asian countries evolved with social development.