Study On The History And Space Distribution From Xu Fu

Xu Fu's eastward sailing to Japan was first recorded in Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian), a work by Sima Qian, the father of Chinese historiography. Xufu, an important figure in the research of Chinese history as well as the ancient history of East Asia, is a famous navigator and explorer in ancient China. For 2000 years, stories and legends about Xufu and his voyage to Japan has been widely spread along the coastal areas of China and in Japan; and even in Korea and other Asian countries and regions. The study of Xu Fu and his eastward voyage to Japan involves many fields, namely, history of ancient China, history of Sino—Japanese Relation, history of cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world, history of marine navigation, history of immigration, local history , folklore and folk literature, cultural heritage study and so on. Meanwhile, the topic of Xu Fu has also drawn the public attention. During the passed decades, fruitful research findings have been made with a surge in the study of Xu Fu in the academic circle, represented by scholars from China and Japan, as well as the attention and enthusiasm from the governments and common people concerned. However, there are still some problems in the past studies, like unclear boundary of history and legend, obvious feature of localism.In this thesis, the author holds the view that among the studies on Xu Fu, besides the literature recordation and archaeological material, the existing folk cultural relics should be attached particular importance. These historical remains both in tangible and oral form can be called"Xu Fu Heritage", which has been closely connected with people's real life, presenting a state full of life and vigor. Based on the past study, this thesis explores the historical heritage left by Xu Fu in China, Japan, and South Korea and makes comparison between the related historical sites in different places, to identify the characteristics of heritages of Xu Fu and the their differences. Additionally, this thesis also presents the writer's understanding on such questions as whether Xu Fu really existed in history, hometown of Xu Fu, destination of Xu Fu's voyage, and the specific route of the voyage Xu Fu took, which are of common concern by both the academia and the general public.This article presents a new idea of"Circle of Xu Fu Culture", a subsystem of East Asian Cultural Sphere, demonstrated by all the things related to Xu Fu in China, Japan and Korea around Yellow Sea & Bohai Sea, such as the written records, human relics, natural landscape, popular legends, academic research and cultural exchanges. The concept of"Circle of Xu Fu Culture"is expounded in this article; in addition, the author gives his own views on its connotation, scope, characteristics as well as connections with East Asian Cultural Sphere. We can safely say that"Circle of Xu Fu Culture"embodies rich historical information and cultural connotation. The central character of this circle—Xu Fu had such a lasting and broad impact on the people of coastal area that no other characters in history has ever been able to induce. The author suggests that the story of"Xu Fu navigating eastward"is a miniature of the historical event that happened two thousand years ago in which thousands of mainland residents moved eastwards to Japan and Korean peninsula where they contributed tremendously to the civilization, while the hero of this story Xu Fu represented all the migrants.From the abundant heritages of him we can sense that Xu Fu, substantial or spiritual, always is a symbolic existence. The legends and stories spread among people were usually created by people who wanted to express their good wishes as well as reflect some historical events on the name of Xu Fu's deeds. Besides, this research is also aimed at providing certain reference to the development and protection of cultural relics and tourist resources through a description of an objective and complete geographic distribution within the cultural circle as well as enriching the connotation of Sino-Japanese communication by revealing the significance of"Xu Fu"and the"Xu Fu's eastward voyage to Japan"event in cultural history.Xu Fu was a historical figure in that he promoted cultural exchanges, spread the Chinese civilization and initiated a"Sea-Oriented East Asia"as an immigrant coming from the mainland some 2200 years ago. Meanwhile, Xu Fu, as a cultural phenomenon, carried numerous good wishes. In addition, as a symbol, he has served as an important bond for the exchanges among peoples in the coastal regions of East Asia. Xu Fu has been enriching the oceanic cultural heritage in the Asian history and its value is still on the rise today when the East Asia is on its road towards peace and development.