The cultural exchange activities of Tang envoys promoted Japan's production, life and social development.
Send envoys to the Tang Dynasty
1. A brief account of the envoys of the Tang Dynasty
The so-called legacy to the Tang Dynasty is the official diplomatic and study abroad missions sent by the Japanese royal family many times to learn advanced politics, culture, science and art from China. In fact, before sending envoys to the Tang Dynasty, Japan also sent envoys to the Sui Dynasty, but it was soon interrupted by the turmoil of the Sui and Wei Uprising. Twelve years after the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, with the peaceful reunification of China, the Japanese sent the first envoys to the Tang Dynasty in the third year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan and the second year of Shunzhi (AD 630). After that, in the fourth year of Kuanping (AD 894), a total of 19 envoys were sent to the Tang Dynasty for more than 260 years, of which 13 arrived in Chang 'an.
2. Composition of envoys to Tang Dynasty
The main officials of the mission in Tang Dynasty are ambassadors, ambassadors, judges and clerks. If they have a major mission, they should add envoys or envoys (chief negotiators) to the ambassadors. The selection conditions are those who are familiar with classics and history, are good at literature and ink, and have a certain understanding or skill in Tang Wenhua and politics. Other members include boatman (captain), shipbuilding supervisor (chief engineer of ship design), boatman (ship design engineer), boatman (shipbuilder), architect, boatman (servant of senior officials), boatswain, sailor, shooter, handyman, translator, god (god officer), doctor and Yin. So there are many people, about 250 at the beginning, more than 500 at the later stage and 600 at the peak. Its large scale and long duration are rare in ancient world history.
3. Send the route to Tang Dynasty
At first, this fleet consisted of two hundred-man ships, and later it was expanded to four ships, starting from Sanmun, Feng Jingen (near Sanchi, the southern district of Osaka Prefecture), crossing the Seto Inland Sea in the west, and reaching Dopo (Hakata) in Kyushu. There are generally two routes from here to the Tang Dynasty. The north road passes through Yiqi and Ma Dui, goes north along the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, or crosses the Yellow Sea to the west near Incheon, or continues north to the mouth of Yalu River, then goes south along the east coast of Liaodong Peninsula, and finally crosses the mouth of Bohai Bay, landing at Dengzhou Port of Shandong Peninsula. Although this route is tortuous and time-consuming, it is relatively safe because it is close to the coastline and has few waves. South Road is divided into two parts: First, set sail from Taepo Port, go south along the west coast of Kyushu, bypass Yejiu (Yakushima) and Anmei (Oshima), cross the East China Sea and reach the Yangtze River estuary. This route should not be considered because of the tension between Japan and Silla, which unified the Korean peninsula after 70 1 year. Secondly, the route from Tai Po to Qijia Island (now Wudao Island and Hudu Island) was opened after 1970s. Since then, it has sailed directly across the East China Sea to the Yangtze River estuary. At this time, due to the Anshi Rebellion, there was chaos in the northern part of the Tang Empire, and the homeland security could not be guaranteed. Moreover, the route through the South Island is not only long and time-consuming, but also the risk of crossing the East China Sea. Instead of taking the same risks and time-consuming, it is better to cross the East China Sea directly from Zhuzi, which can shorten the voyage and save time.
Compared with the air route, the southern air route is extremely risky when the navigation technology and navigation technology are underdeveloped and there is no knowledge of marine meteorology. Ambassadors to Tang often encounter storms and tides during their travels, and shipwrecks and deaths often occur.
4. The responsibility of sending special envoy Tang
The time to send envoys to the Tang Dynasty is basically one year, and the main task is to learn the scientific and cultural knowledge of the Tang Dynasty. Such as guiding Zhao, the assistant of the fourth school in Tajixi County, to study classics; Quasi-judge Fujiwara Zhenmin studied pipa from Liu Erlang; Doctor Sugawara entered Taiji Hospital to study. Chang 'an at that time was not only the center of China culture, but also the center of world culture. Eastern and Western cultures from Persia, India, Byzantium, Turkestan, He Hong, Arabia, Indo-China Peninsula and other places all gathered here, which opened the eyes of international students, increased their knowledge and enriched their learning contents. Those who returned from their studies, such as Kibi No Asomi Makibi, Yun Xuan, Zuicheng, Konghai, etc., have become pillars of talent in all aspects and made great contributions to the progress of Japanese culture.
Another major task of diplomatic missions is to expand Sino-Japanese trade. After the Tang Dynasty, the mission presented gifts from the Japanese government to the Emperor, mainly including local specialties such as silver, silk, cotton and cloth, and returned to China with gifts such as colorful silks, fragrant medicines and tricolor handicrafts returned from the Tang Dynasty. Its significance is similar to today's official barter trade. Of course, these gifts are first to meet the needs of emperors and aristocratic officials, so everything in Tang Dynasty is traded within the imperial court. According to the October article of six years in "After the Day Continues", "Before the ceremony, things in the Tang Dynasty were in chaos." When the hidden old officials reached an agreement with the attendants, it was called the palace market. Once those officials or nobles who bought things from the Tang Dynasty lost their foothold and power in the future political vortex, they would make a living by selling things. As a result, these palace-specific items also flowed into the hands of private businessmen, and exquisite things of the Tang Dynasty were naturally very popular, and imitation things of the Tang Dynasty began to become popular to meet the market gap.
At the same time, the Japanese court also gave different amounts of money for travel and tuition according to the official rank of the members of the mission, and gave a lot of extra sand gold to envoys and ambassadors. So they also have the purchasing power of Tang things, and it is not clear which business-minded person takes the lead in reselling them. Anyway, a group of officials and businessmen sent to Tang Dynasty were formed, and the exchange of Japanese and Tang trade missions was born.
5. Famous overseas students sent to the Tang Dynasty
Among the overseas students sent to the Tang Dynasty, they are generally divided into two categories, namely, overseas students and monks. Foreign students enter one of the six academies in imperial academy to study their respective majors, while scholars gather in major monasteries in Chang 'an and Luoyang to study Buddhism. According to the History of Japanese-Chinese Cultural Exchanges written by Iwakuni Yantai, for more than 200 years, there were 144 students studying in the Tang Dynasty, most of whom were learned monks, and only 14 were other international students. Many of them stayed in the Tang Dynasty for more than 20 years, and even got married and had children in the Tang Dynasty. From their daily life to their manners, they are just like the Tang people. One of the best is an official in the Tang Dynasty. After returning to China, these overseas students who know little about it have made outstanding contributions to the cultural exchange between Tang and Japanese and the development of Tang Wenhua culture. Here are some of the most famous examples:
Ma Lu Abe (698-770) entered the Tang Dynasty in July17, taking the Chinese name Chao Heng. After completing his studies, he served as an official in the Tang Dynasty, and worked as a school official (below nine grades), left gleaning (below eight grades), left supplement (below seven grades), friend (below five grades), Wei (below four grades), Wei (below five grades) and other poetry works, which were closely related to poets of the same era as Li Bai, Wang Wei and Chu Guangxi. Returning to China in 753, Wang Wei presented a farewell poem: "Outside the village tree, the owner is on an isolated island. Don't leave a foreign country if the fuse is connected. " On the way, Annan drifted in the wind and waves, and Li Bai mistakenly thought that his ship had capsized and died. He wrote a famous mourning poem: "Japanese Chao Heng resigned from the imperial city and sailed Penghu alone." The bright moon does not return to the blue sea, and the white clouds are full of sorrow. It is the best proof of the honeymoon period between China and Japan. In 755 AD, he returned to the Tang Dynasty, and successively served as the long history of Zuosanqi (under the third grade), the history of Zhenhu and the southern section of Zhennan (under the third grade). He died in Chang 'an in 770. The Tang Dynasty posthumously awarded the governor of Luzhou (second class), and the Japanese posthumously awarded Zhenger. Its tomb is still preserved in Xi 'an Xingqing Park.
Kibi No Asomi Makibi (693-775), a classmate of Abe. 7 17 -735 stayed in the Tang dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty (17), it was truly inherited in history, military affairs, astronomy, art and so on. After returning home, I brought back various books and articles including etiquette, laws, calendars, music scores, musical instruments and weapons. After returning to China, he became a court teacher (university teaching assistant), teaching emperors and nobles the Five Classics, Three History, Faming, Arithmetic, Phonology and Seal Cutting. He brought back the Tang calendar and the Great Yan Li, the former became a model of court etiquette in the Heian Dynasty, and the latter was used instead of Fengxiang calendar in the seventh year of Baozi in Tian Ping (763).
In 752, he went to study in the Tang Dynasty again and served as an assistant envoy. In 754, he returned to China as the second son of Taizai and built a graceful earth city. When the German emperor was called, the rank was subordinate to two right ministers. He is the author of Private Education Class Gathering. It is said that he was also the initiator of Japanese Go (see my essay "The Boundary between Yin and Yang-On Japanese Go" for details). In a word, he played an important role in introducing Tang Wenhua to Japan.
Konghai (774-835) entered the Tang Dynasty as a monk in 804, and studied tantric Buddhism in Qingliu Temple in Chang 'an. In 806, he returned to China to spread the tantric mantra. In August16, the Jingangfeng Temple was built in Gao Yanei, which initiated Shinrikyo in Japan. In 828, a variety school was established in Kyoto to popularize education to ordinary people. In addition to being proficient in Buddhism, Konghai is more proficient in poetry and prose, and has written books such as The Chamber of Secrets of Wen Jing, Copying with Eyes and Literary Mind, and usurping the name of Vientiane. After his death, he died and passed on Buddhism.
Zuicheng (766-822), a classmate of Konghai. Xiaoguo Temple in Tiantai Mountain, learning tantric mantra from the perspective of knowing and doing. The following year, he returned to China with 230 scriptures, publicized Tiantai's sense of honor, and built Mahayana to quit the altar, in opposition to various factions in Du Nan. He is the author of "On the Manifestation of Commandments" and "Protection of National Borders". After his death, he became a missionary.
Yun Xuan (? -746), went to Chang 'an with Kibi No Asomi Makibi in July17, and was awarded the purple cassock by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. In 735, he returned to China with more than 5,000 volumes of scriptures, and preached Faxiangzong in Kofukuji. Because he learned advanced medical technology in the Tang Dynasty, he cured Emperor Shengwu's mother Fujiwara Miyako's illness, was prized as a monk, and was able to enter the palace to participate in political affairs. He and Kibi No Asomi Makibi once jointly controlled North Korea. After being opposed by nobles, he was exiled to build Zihe 'an Temple.
Ren Yuan (794-864) entered the Tang Dynasty in 838 and studied two cases of revealing secrets. After returning to China, he spread Tiantai Sect and established Samadhi Temple, which was the founder of Xi 'ai Mountain in Beiling. His Journey of Seeking Law in the Tang Dynasty is still an important material for studying the social outlook of the Tang Dynasty. Master Shi Cijue.
Yuan Zhen (814-891) entered the Tang Dynasty in 853 and studied Tiantai Sect. After returning to China in 858, Tiantai Sect was founded in Japan. He is the author of "On Fahua Collection" and "The Classic Return of Great Sun". Master smart card.
It can be seen from the situation of the above-mentioned people in the Tang Dynasty and after returning to China that Japan attached great importance to those who returned from studying in the Tang Dynasty, and most of them were able to display their talents and made outstanding contributions to the development of Japanese culture. In the Tang dynasty, these distant students were completely open and accepted, and even those who were willing to work for the court were entrusted with heavy responsibilities, which showed their generosity and openness.
6. Jian Zhen Du Dong
As the saying goes, it is impolite to come without going. In the Tang Dynasty, the Japanese also went to Japan to spread culture and promote friendly exchanges between China and Japan. Among them, Jian Zhen is the most representative and the most famous monk in Yangzhou. His six voyages to the East, the legendary story of thousands of difficulties and dangers, and the indomitable spirit of being single-minded and generous are still widely read by people.
Jian Zhen (688-763) was born in Jiangyang County. 14 years old was shaved at Dayun Temple in Yangzhou. In 708, he was instructed by Master Hongjing to learn dharma. In 733, Yi Wei, the master of Nanlv School, died, and he became the head of Nanlv School. He has conferred precepts on more than 40,000 monks and was honored as a preceptor. At that time, the Japanese Legalists were devastated, and the court heard the name of Jian Zhen, so they sent two monks, Nara, Xiaofu Temple, Rong Rui and Daanci, to Li Tang and hired them to give lectures in Japan.
From 743 to 748, Jian Zhen crossed the East five times, but all failed because of natural and man-made disasters. The fifth time, he drifted to Hainan Island due to strong wind, and returned to Yangzhou from Hainan Island bypassing Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangxi. On the way, he was blinded by fatigue and miasma, and Rong Rui died in Duanzhou (now Guangdong Gaoyao). In A.D. 10 and 753, envoys Tang and Qinghe were sent back to Yangzhou to pay their respects and were invited to Japan together. Jian Zhen, 65, regardless of his age and blindness, resolutely crossed the East for the sixth time. After two months of arduous sea voyage, I finally arrived at Qiuwei Wupu (now Akimu, Chuanbian County) in Samoyed Addo County on February 20, 65438753, and arrived at Dazai Prefecture at the end of the year. In February of the following year, he entered the capital.
Jian Zhen's success in 1 1 year before and after his eastward crossing showed his determination and perseverance in preaching in Japan. Jian Zhen arrived in Japan with 24 disciples, including Fajin, Tanjing, Situo, Yijing, Fazai and Facheng. The items brought to Japan include: 8 Buddha statues, 7 kinds of instruments, 34 kinds of Buddhist scriptures and 3 copybooks. The Japanese court gave a grand welcome to Jian Zhen, giving him respect and honor from top to bottom, and awarded him the title of Master Deng Chuan, as well as many gifts to other monks. On April 5, 754, Jian Zhen built an altar in front of the Rushena Buddha in Dongda Temple and was personally ordained, first to the royal family and then to 440 monks such as Cheng Xiu. In the eighth year of Tianping Shengbao (756), Jian Zhen was appointed as the capital of the great monk. In the third year of Tian Pingbao (759), the Japanese court completed the construction of Zhao Ti Temple according to the layout of temples in the Tang Dynasty, and Jian Zhen moved from Dongda Temple to spread the precepts widely, thus creating the Japanese Legalist School.
On May 6th, the seventh year of Tianpingbaozi (763), Jian Zhen died of illness in Zhao Ti Temple in Tang Dynasty at the age of 76. His disciple Renji made a dry portrait of Jian Zhen, and Stowe wrote a biography of a Buddhist monk in the Tang Dynasty, which became a missionary treasure of Japanese legalists and was designated as a national treasure by the Japanese government, and has been preserved to this day. 1in April, 1984, the statue of Jian Zhen was exhibited in Yangzhou and Beijing successively, which was welcomed by people all over the country.