What contribution did Xu Fu make to China?

On May 18, 2007, the 9th China Longkou Xufu Hometown Cultural Festival and the launching ceremony of Xufuzhi were held in Wansongpu Academy, Longkou City, Shandong Province, Xufu's hometown. Nearly 50 experts and scholars from Japan, South Korea, historians at home and abroad and Xu Fu research institutions around the world attended the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Mr. Zhang Wei, vice president of China International Xufu Cultural Exchange Association and chairman of Shandong Writers Association. Sun, deputy secretary of the CPC Longkou Municipal Committee, welcomed the meeting. More than 20 academic groups and individuals, including former Japanese Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata and Huaxia Xufu Cultural Research Center, sent congratulatory letters and telegrams. Mr. Xie Hua, Vice President of China International Xufu Cultural Exchange Association and former Deputy Director of Central Plains Rural Policy Research Office, made a concluding speech.

Xu Fu was a famous alchemist, navigator and outstanding messenger of cultural exchange between China and foreign countries in Qin Dynasty. He was born in the State of Qi during the Warring States Period (now researched as Longkou City). During Qin Shihuang's reign, Xu Fu led 3,000 boys and girls to cross the coast of Shandong and traveled all over Korea and Japan, which became a much-told story in the cultural exchanges between China, Japan and South Korea in history. It has been a hot topic for people to study and discuss for thousands of years, and has become a comprehensive study of pre-Qin history, Qin and Han history, Sino-foreign relations history, navigation history, folklore, religion, archaeology and other disciplines, which has extremely important academic value. At the same time, the study of Xu Fu and his group's eastward crossing is of great practical significance for expanding opening to the outside world, developing the friendship between Chinese, Japanese and Korean people, and accelerating the economic and cultural construction and tourism development in Shandong.

Due to the unknown historical data, the previous research on Chui Fu was not deep enough. However, with the continuous discovery and increase of documents, archaeology, cultural relics and legendary materials related to Chui in China, Japan and South Korea, the research on Chui has become increasingly in-depth. In order to promote the in-depth study of Xu Fu and expand foreign exchanges, it is necessary to comprehensively understand, summarize and publicize Xu Fu's life and achievements. At the beginning of 2004, China International Xufu Cultural Exchange Association decided to compile Xu Fuzhi, and entrusted the secretariat of the association and the Institute of Local Records of Shandong Normal University to prepare for the compilation of local records. The compilation of Xu Fuzhi has been attached great importance by the leaders of the provincial government, and Governor Han Yuqun and Vice Governor Cai have given strong support. Longkou Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Government and the Xufuxue Research Association of Longkou City also attached great importance to the compilation of Xufuzhi, and gave positive protection in manpower, material resources and financial resources.

Xu Fuzhi * * * is divided into six chapters, with 2 1 380,000 words. It describes the whole process of Xu Fu and his eastward crossing in detail, which has high academic research value and strong authority. The famous historians in China, An and Zhu Shaohou, served as academic consultants for the book. Mr. Ma Yi, President of China International Xufu Cultural Exchange Association, is the director of the editorial board. The editor-in-chief is Mr. Zhu Yafei, executive vice president of China Xufu International Cultural Exchange Association and director of the Institute of Local History of Shandong Normal University. Qu, Secretary-General of China Xufu International Cultural Exchange Association, Deputy Secretary-General and Mr. Hao Huimin as Deputy Editor-in-Chief. It is published by Ocean University of China Press. The publication of Xu Fuzhi is an important event in Xu Fu's research career and cultural life at home and abroad, and it is also an important achievement since the establishment of China International Xu Fu Cultural Exchange Association. The publication of Xu Fuzhi will create a broader channel for Xu Fuzhi's cultural research, communication and tourism development, and become a new link and bridge for generations of friendly exchanges between the people of China, Japan and South Korea. The publication of Xu Fuzhi will certainly promote the study of Xu Fu at home and abroad to a deeper level and play an active role in promoting world peace and stability and building a harmonious socialist society.

In fact, the legend of Xu Fu, which is true or false, has always been a thorny "mystery" floating in the history circles of China and Japan, but it is also a hot topic between history and culture, and Xu Fu has also become a unique culture in China and Northeast Asia. In China, since the Han Dynasty, there are not a few literati who have written poems on this subject. Li Bai, a great romantic poet, likes to explore secluded places all his life. In his "Ancient Style" (III), he is endowed with "When will the ship return?" A Japanese Knife written by Ouyang Xiu in Song Dynasty is even more familiar to Chinese and Japanese people. Wu Lai of the Yuan Dynasty was keen on the legend of Xu Fu. He went boating in the East China Sea in search of historical sites. He wrote the famous Records of Water Monuments in Yongdong Mountain, and recorded the ruins of Xufu in Zhoushan Islands one by one. He also wrote poems such as Listening to Guests in Xiazi Cave in Penglai Mountain and Listening to Visitors in Xufu Temple in Xiongye. Song Lian and Li Dongyang in the Ming Dynasty; In the Qing Dynasty, Huang Zunxian and others also took this as the theme and created poems that have been passed down through the ages.

To sum up, if there are still many mysteries about Xu Fu as a historical proposition, then as a famous cultural topic, it has long been formed in the process of historical evolution and accepted by the people of China, Japan and South Korea and even Northeast Asia. No one is the initiator of Xu Fu culture. But the facts tell us that Xu Fu, as a unique cultural phenomenon, plays an irreplaceable positive role in the exchanges between China, Japan and South Korea, both from a historical perspective and from a realistic situation.

Historical aspect

On Japanese history

In the ancient history of Japan, the rope pattern culture, which lasted for more than 6000 years, suddenly stopped around the third century BC, and the civilization process of Japanese archipelago jumped from the Stone Age to the Stone Age. This role comes from immigrants outside the islands and brings a new culture through large-scale collective immigration from outside. Sima Qian's Historical Records records that Xu Fuhai's quest for immortality occurred in this period, which has to attract the attention of historians. The record of Xu Fu's whereabouts in Historical Records only includes the words "Xu Fuping was rich, and the king didn't come". Where is the width of this plain? No one knows, and there is no convincing archaeological data to prove it later. In Japan, written historical materials did not appear until the seventh century. For ancient literature and history, most of them are handed down by word of mouth, and their credibility is limited. Therefore, it is difficult to determine which groups have brought advanced culture from Chinese mainland. At that time, China was competing with other countries for several years. In order to escape the war, the people crossed the ocean and came to the East. Xu Fu is not the only immigrant group who arrived in the Korean peninsula and the Japanese archipelago. As for the ancestors of the Japanese, there have always been many sayings in the history circle, such as descendants of Wu, Taibo, Yue, Xu Fu and horseback riding. The foreign cultures that have influenced the historical development of Japan are Wuyue culture, Qilu culture and Tungusic culture. Therefore, the real significance of investigating Xu Fu's culture lies in the cultural identity and attribution, which is based on extensive consanguineous blending. "Xu Fu" is just a synonym for the mainland immigrant groups in this period and a symbol of the cultural source.

In addition, from the Warring States to the Qin and Han Dynasties, most governors were keen on the immortal way. Therefore, in the hundreds of years' activities of seeking immortality at sea, a large number of alchemists such as An Qisheng, Xian Men Gao Shi, Han Zhong, Lu Sheng and Shao Jun appeared. When Xu Fu went out to sea alone to seek immortality, there were 3,000 children, men and women, countless workers, and only dozens or even hundreds of ships went out to sea. As far as this group is concerned, it is impossible to go to the same destination at the same time. Therefore, it is not surprising that nearly 30 places in China, with a coastline of more than 1000 miles, have legends of blessing. Chui fook has become synonymous with these alchemy groups and immortal teams. I call it * * * Xu Fu.

Xu Fu (Indra Day) in the comic book Fengyun

The combination of Xu Fu and Japanese history, from the category of pure history to the formation of a cultural phenomenon, has a changing process with the development of history. Starting from Sima Qian's Historical Records, the History of Han written by Ban Gu in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the History of the Three Kingdoms written by Jin and the History of the Later Han written by the Southern Song Dynasty all recorded the story of Xu Fu's going out to sea to seek immortality, and the contents of the Historical Records were not finalized, saying that Xu Fu had been to Zuzhou, Yingzhou, Yizhou, Aizhou, Penglai.

The legend of Xu Fu's attachment to Japan began in Sui and Tang Dynasties. In the third year of the Sui Dynasty (AD 607), the Japanese sent Xiao Ye's sister to China. The following year, Emperor Yang Di sent Pei to visit Japan. Pei saw a "state of Qin" in Kyushu, Japan, whose customs were similar to those of China, so he guessed that this was probably the "Yizhou" where Xu Fu reportedly would never return, but he was not sure. Later, someone directly compared this "Qin State" to Japan. For example, Xue Junyi's Textual Research on the Evolution of Japan (written in A.D. 1530) said: "In the pre-Qin period, alchemist Xu Fu sent thousands of boys to the sea to seek immortality, but he was afraid of killing foreigners, killing two continents and being a slave himself. Therefore, China has always called it "Xu Wo". In a positive tone, Xu Fudao's two continents, one continent and one continent, are all "Japanese slaves".

In the Tang Dynasty, the exchanges between China and Japan became more and more frequent. It was found that Japan's cultural relics system was similar to that of China, and there were ancient relics, so Xu Fudong's crossing place was gradually locked in Japan.

In the combination of Xu Fu and Japanese ancient history, the record in Six Chapters of Yi Chu has the greatest influence on later generations. After the Five Dynasties, in the second year of Tiancheng in the Tang Dynasty (AD 927), Ambassador Hongshun, a true Xuanzong monk stationed in Japan, came to China and met a monk in China. Kuan Fu told Yi Chu the legend that Xu Fu went to Japan to seek immortality. Later, Yi Chu recorded this oral content of Kuan Fu in his Six Posts of Yi Chu. In the Qin Dynasty, Xu Fu stopped the country with 500 virgins. Today's figures are like Chang 'an. ..... There are mountains more than a thousand miles northeast, named Fushan and Penglai. Its mountains are steep, surrounded by the sea on three sides, with roses on the top and smoke on the top. There are gems flowing down in Japan and China, but at night, I often hear music. Xu Fu stops here and calls it Penglai. Today's descendants are all called Qin. "

Yes, the history of China

In China, the record that Xu Fu finally climbed Mount Fuji began with this book, but this record is only a dialogue between a pair of foreign friends and monks, and it is only a legend. However, it was such a casual conversation record that became the basis for Xu Fudong's arrival in Japan in the future, and it has been passed down to this day.

Xu Fu in the TV series Fengyun

Another outstanding phenomenon in the historical evolution of Xu Fu's culture is that Xu Fu has gradually changed from a man to a god, and Xu Fu's historical records have gradually developed into literary creations, which are constantly mythologized. Xu Fu gradually became an indomitable and omnipotent spiritual symbol. At this point, the most representative work is a record about Xu Fu in Li Fang's Taiping Guangji in the Song Dynasty:

Chui fook, the word Jun Fang. I don't know who it is. At the time of Qin Shihuang, many people died crossing the road in Dawan. Several people were covered with black grass and all died. There is a company that plays the first emperor. The first emperor sent messengers to plant this grass and asked Mr. Guigu in the north. Cloud is an immortal grass on the East China Sea ancestral land, born in Qiongtian and nourishing the spirit. Its leaves are like leaves, not clustered. One plant can feed thousands of people. The first emperor then called it available. Three thousand men, three thousand women and three thousand children were sent to the sea by ship. I don't know what to do if I don't return to my ancestral home. After being arrested, Huang Lao sent Fu as an envoy to meet Sima Sheng in a white tiger car. Assistant minister Bo Yan Zhi took a white deer car and all came to meet Xi. Therefore, future generations know the blessings and gain the Tao. During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, some scholars suffered from hemiplegia, but the doctor Rong didn't know it. His people got together and said, "The shape is like this. Do you want to stay longer? I heard that there are immortals in the sea, and only the fairy can cure this disease. " Clans cannot stay. Because of the waiter, I went to the seaside in Dengzhou to eat. In case of an empty boat, Yu Ji will carry it. It is feasible to hang sails with the wind for more than ten days, near an island. There are thousands of people on the island. Reach the shore in an instant. There was a woman washing medicine on the shore because she asked who she was. The woman pointed to the cloud: "Those who sit on the middle bed and need white temples are allowed." Ask again: "Who is Xu Jun?" The woman said, "Do you know Xu Ye Fu of Qin Shihuang?" Say, "I know." "This is also." Soon, the crowd dispersed. Someone went ashore to pay homage and sought medical treatment with a story. Xu Yun said, "Your illness will start when you meet me." At first, I was fed a delicious meal. The utensils were surprisingly small, and some were too thin. Junyun: "I can do this for another meal, but I'm afraid it's endless." Even if I throw up, I'm full of things. Besides, drinking wine with a small device makes you drunk. The next day, eat some black medicine as food. If you eat a few liters of black juice, you will get well. Some people ask for life and service. Xu Junyun: "I have a position. If it is not suitable, I will stay. As soon as the east wind is delivered, there is no worry about returning home. " Return a bag of yellow medicine and say, "This medicine is good for all diseases. You can drink it at fesr if you are still sick." I will go back to Dengzhou in a few days. Play medicine. Xuanzong was ordered to take a sick suit and all recovered.

As for the image combination between Xu Fudong and Sino-Japanese relations, it is also common in literary creation of past dynasties. In March of the first year of Yuanhe (AD 806), Tang Priest returned to China via Yuezhou, and Zhu Shaocheng, Zhu Shaorui, Hung-chien and others sent him poems. Tang Priest Hung-chien wrote a song "Send a man to Japan after worshipping in the sky":

Zen is separated by a sea, east of Zuzhou, a rural road.

Going to the countryside to preach, you will get a monk's wind.

Shan Gui is far away from fish, and it is a disgrace to the building.

People are not Xu Fu, why send letters?

This is probably the earliest historical data of the image combination of "Zuzhou", "Xufu" and "Japan" seen in literature.

Before and after this, Xu Fu's poems seeking immortality were often written by celebrities, including Li Bai, Pi Rixiu and Zhu Shaorui. The most influential works in Japan are Long Sea by Su Shi in Song Dynasty and Song of Japanese Knife by Ouyang Xiu. With the increasing exchanges with Japan in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, poems with this theme are becoming more and more common. The History of Japan, written by Huang Zunxian, a former Japanese embassy counselor, records Xu Fu's quest for immortality. Xue Fucheng, who was a soldier in Ningshao, recorded his visit to Xu Fu's tomb in the new palace in the Diary of Envoys.

Celebrities leave stories, but excellent works are twice as good. Although many works describe Xu Fu with a strong myth, they are an important part of Xu Fu's culture. But in the past, we were ignored because it was literature and legend, not historical facts, that is, we only made some supporting materials to quote it, but failed to study it in a centralized, in-depth and multi-angle way to find its deeper connotation. China and Japan, separated only by a strip of water, are as close as lips and teeth. In history, all ethnic groups exchanged and blended with each other in various forms, forming a complex political and cultural alliance.

The Sui and Tang Dynasties was the first peak of Japanese contacts with China. Japanese sent more than 20 envoys to China during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and China also sent a large number of welcoming envoys. The exchanges between friends, monks and scholars of the two countries often take Xu Fu culture as a symbol of friendship, praising and appreciating each other. Master Hongshun of Japan and monk Yi Chu of China celebrated the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples by telling the legend of Xu Fu. Yuanzai, a Japanese Tiantai monk, returned to China after studying in China for about 40 years. His good friend Pi Rixiu, a famous poet in Tang Dynasty, sent him a farewell message. There was once a poem called Farewell to Japan, which included: "Infinite city is a naked country, and how many boundaries are Yanzhou". It also shows the traditional friendship between the two peoples and Xu Fu's quest for immortality.