A Study Of The Local Society Of Yuzhou Island In Medieval Times

Yuzhou(??)island is located in the Yuntai Mountain of Lianyungang of Jiangsu Province,which is also called the island of Tianheng.Yuzhou island and the Qu Mountain are separated by sea.This paper is divided into three topics to do a meticulous study of the local society of Yuzhou island in medieval times.The first topic is the landscape of Yuzhou island.This chapter focuses on the special natural and cultural landscape of Yuzhou island.Because of the lack of historical materials,the picture of Yuzhou island is not clear.Five travelers who have once been to Yuzhou island are chosed to be typical examples.We use their travel records as a clue to depict the distinctive landscape of Yuzhou island.Taoist priests practice themselves on the Yuzhou island in the late of Eastern Han Dynasty.There were herds of deer in the mountain.Local nobilities of Qing-Xu district garrisoned on the island for a long time in the Northern and Southern Dynasties.A number of Taoists,Buddhists,Shilla people and Japanese were on the Yuzhou island in the Tang Dynasty.The records of these travelers show us a vivid and meaningful picture of Yuzhou island at that time.The second topic is about military and politics.Combining with the era background of North against South,we can do a special inspection of the crowd flow and social change around Yuzhou island.After the Emperor Ming of Liu Song lost the Huaibei district,Yuzhou island became the maritime border of the Southern Dynasties.During this period,a lot of local nobilities of QingXu district migrated to Yuzhou island.These people contributed greatly to the stability and development of the island.The situation of Yuzhou island fell into disorder gradually in the Liang Dynasty.Finally the messes rebelled against the government.The third topic is related to belief and legend.This chapter focuses on the temple of Stone Deer Mountain and the legend of Tianheng.The belief of the temple of Stone Deer Mountain reflected the maritime belief of Yuzhou islanders,which had extensive social impact.Tianheng was one of the great leaders of the uprisings in the end of Qin Dynasty,who had a far-reaching influence.There was a view that the island of Tianheng was located in Yuzhou island in the Tang Dynasty.What's more,there were many geographical names about Tianheng on the Yuzhou island,such as the hummock of Tianheng,the state of Tianheng,the small Ge Mountain and the Aibu city.These geographical names revealed that the legend of Tianheng and his five hundred adherents was likely to be quite popular in the local society,which had something to do with character of the ocean world and was also influenced by the long tradition of oceanic culture in Yuzhou island.The research of the temple of Stone Deer Mountain and the legend of Tianheng will deepen our understanding about the oceanic culture in medieval times.