Some Observations on the Studyof the Historyof Cultural Interactions in East Asia
黃俊傑
Chun-chieh Huang
National Taiwan University
Email: cc10.huang@msa.hinet.net
cc10 huang@msa hinet net
Website: http://huang.cc.ntu.edu.tw

11..
Introduction

1:1 East Asian history of cultural interactions:“regional history” between “globalhistoryhistory” and “nationalnational historyhistory”“NationalNational history”
history before the WWII:
China: Qian Mu, Outline of National
Hi tHistory

Qian Mu（1895-1990）

1:1 East Asian history of cultural interactions:“regional history” between “globalhistory
history” and “nationalnational historyhistory”“National history” before the end ofWWII:Japan: from “national history” (国のあゆみ) to “people’s history” (人民历史)の历史)22..
Some MethodologicalConsiderations

2:1 East Asia as a “contact zone”
1. Before 20th century:
World order framed by the“tributary system”
centered upon the Chinese
E iEmpire
費正清（John KingFairbank，1907-1991）
Fairbank
1907 1991）

Cf. John K. Fairbank ed., The Chinese World Order(Cambridge Mass.:(Cambridge,Mass : Harvard
Har ard University
Uni ersit
Press, 1968).

2:1 East Asia as a “contact zone”(Tang dynasty) Corps of Tribute2:1 East Asia as a “contact zone”

Edict of Emperor Chengzu of Ming to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu

Edict of Emperor Shenzong of Ming to Toyotomi Hideyoshi

2:1 East Asia as a “contact zone”
2. First half of the 20th century:• “Great East Asian Co-prosperityp p y Circle”
centered upon the imperial Japan• Memories
Mi shared
h d byb E
Eastt A
Asiani countries
t iof Japanese invasion

Chinese people shotby Japanese soldiers2:1 East Asia as a “contact zone”
3. Second half of the 20th century:• “Cold War order” built by theUnited States• The rising of American hegemony“Kitty Hawk” of the UnitedStates Seventh Fleet

2:1 East Asia as a “contact zone”
4. 21st century:
yThe rising “Economic Circle ofG t China
GreaterChi ”• China joins the ASEAN 10+3
• Japanese concerns over “peripheraldisturbances” (周边有事)
Shanghai2:2 Focus on from “result” to “process”
p《Iwanami Series on World History》（1970-71）

Sadao Nishijima（1919-1998）

1. Founding of the Yellow
1Yellow-River
River Civilization
2. Formation of the Yin and Zhou States
3 Formation of Classics
3.
4. Societies and States in the Spring-Autumn andWarring States China
5. On the Hundred Schools of Thoughts
6 The Establishment of Emperor Domination
6.
7. Institution of the Han Dynasty
8 Transportation,
8.
Transportation measurement,
measurement and monopoly ofsalt and iron
9 Establishment of the Confucianism
9.
10. Usurpation of Wang Mang
11 The Latter Han and the Nobles
11.
12. The Han Empire and the Surrounding Races

Comments:1)) Mosaic rather than “holistic” view ofEast Asia
2) Emphasis on “result” over “process”
because of “de-contextualization”
de contextualization2:2 Focus on from “result” to “process”
pChangeg of methodology:gy1) Static view
view→→ dynamic view:
4 indices: Chinese characters,Confucianism laws
Confucianism,laws, Buddhism∴ Structural →developmentalH lHegel（G. W. F. Hegel, 1770-1831）

Lecture on History off Philosophyhlh2:2 Focus on from “result” to “process”
p2) Center（holistich li ti view）
viewi ）→
peripheryp p y（developmental view）
view）
China is an unavoidable “other”（ Nobukuni Koyasu 子安宣邦）∴ History of cultural interaction ＝
the process of constructing culturalsubjectivities of Korea and Japan

2) Texts → ambiance, environment∴ text →context

2:3 Interrelation between “national history,”“global history” and “regional history”
1. “Regional history” within the context ofnational histories”
histories“national→ “Within” rather than “above”

2 “Regional
2.
Regional history”
history intertwined with
“global history”
1) “Regional history” aspart of “global history”
2) “Global history” as“trans-regionaltrans regional history
history”
William Hardy McNeill(1917-)

2:4 “Contextual turn” in the studyyof “regional history”
1. All the “cultural product,” (RogerChartier) including classics and values,
are products of specific culturalcontexts
2. Temporality and spatiality
3 Certain “contextual turns” are3.
required for the transmission ofculturalll products
dto foreign
f i countries.
ia Example:a.
1) Yi Hwang 李滉 (Toegye, 1502-1571):
1502 1571):
edits Outline and Explanations of theWorks of Zhu Xi (《朱子書節要》) (1556)
Due to the contextual differences
between China and Korea, the works ofZhu Xi must be “trimmed” to beaccommodated in Korea
Portrait of Yi Hwang on
the Korean note2) Japanese imperial lecturer Kiyohara
Nobukata 清原宣賢（1475-1550）marks“b“bannedd ffrom Hi
His HiHighest’s
h t’ reading”
di ” onMencius

Source: Kyoto University Library (http://edb.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/exhibit/s130/s130cont.html)

3) “Contextual turn” of the term “China”:“China” in the Chinese classics:“Cultural identity”＝“political identity”“China” in the Japanese classics:
y ≠ “politicalpidentity”y“Cultural identity”“China”
China in modern Taiwan:“Cultural China,” “political China”

b. “Thick description:
Clifford Geertz (1926-2006)“WebWeb of meaning”
meaning3.
3.
Problematiques3:1 Interactions between “self” and“other” in East Asia
• The awakening of “self” occurs in thei tinteraction
ti withith ““other”
th ”• Four types of tension in the East Asian“contact zone”:
a. “Political“P liti l self”
lf” vs. “cultural“ lt l self”
lf”
b. “Cultural self” vs. “cultural other”
c. “Political self” vs. “political other”
pother”
d. “Cultural other” vs. “politicalA. Tension typeyp 1:“Political self” vs. “cultural self”
Yamazaki Ansai 山崎闇齋 (1618-1682):
China → Japan
ConfuciusMencius

B. Tension typeyp 2:
“Cultural self” vs. “cultural other”
Itō Jinsai 伊藤仁齋 (1627-1705):“China”
China = Japan

C. Tension typeyp 3:
“Political self” vs. “political other”
Zhu Shunshui 朱舜水 (1600-1682):“Since our greatt country“Sit was subdued
bd d byb thethbarbarian…I am self-exiled to foreignstatest t forf 13 years…TheTh KingKi off Vietnam
Vi tordered my presence, who is talented butsomewhat
h t wronged
d byb biased
bi d knowledge.
kl d
The flatterers were sowing discord between
kikingandd me, andd theth highhi h officials
ffi i l shut
h t
their mouths. I was all alone against theslanderers…”l d”

D. Tension typeyp 4:
“Cultural other” vs. “political other”
Double structure of the Japanesepview ofChina:“Cultural China” vs. “political China”
Cultural China — China as idealyPolitical China — China as reality

3:2 Power and culture in East Asia
3:2:1 The Chinese case:1. Ruling power in close connection
withwt cu
culturetu e
2. Terms in classics redefined bypolitical power
3 Classical texts filtrated by authority
3.

Terms in classics redefined by political power:“Yong could be given the seat facing south”((Analects 6/1))
Liu Xiang 劉向 (77 B.C.- 6 A.D.)
B Xi
BaoXian 包咸 (6B.C.-65A.D.)(6B C 65A D )Zheng Xuan 鄭玄 (127-200)
He Yan 何晏 (？-245)

Classical texts filtrated by authority:
1) Soft filtering: guiding the classics
reading through official examsOf 46 questions tested about Mencius
in the Palace Exams of the Ming
dynasty most of them were aboutdynasty,
inner personal cultivation, ratherth outerthant politicalliti l program.

2) Hard filtering: abridging the classicaltexts directly
a. Zhu Yuanzhang (1368-98),
first emperor of Ming,
ordered Liu Sanwu 劉三吾(1312-99) to censor chaptersof the Mencius that weredeemed slanderous ofimperial rule, and to produce
a new edition, titled Abridged
Texts of the Book of Mencius.

3:2 Power and culture in East Asia
322 T
3:2:2
Takingki culturallt
l interactions
i tti
as p
perspective:p
1. Influence on each country by
the shift of center of power of
E t Asia
EastAi2. What is the influence on culturein the power relations?

44..
Subjects of Study

4:1 Interaction of personages
pg
Yang Liansheng楊聯陞（1914-1990）:“Professional
Professional
intermediate agents”

4:1 Interaction of p
personagesg• Economically:y businessmen,
entrepreneurs, brokers, agencies…
go-betweens…
betweens…
• Socially: matchmakers, go• Legally: lawyers• Diplomatically: diplomats• Religiously: missionaries, priests,wizardsi• Culturally: teachers, translators,interpreters…

4:2 Interaction of things,
g esp.
p books“Books Road” in East Asian culturalzone:
1. Chinese classics exported to Japan:
1) Estimated 1568 titles of Chinese texts wereexported to Japan in the 9th century2) 70-80% of Chinese books were reproduced
in Japan before the 19th century
3) Enormous impact of Analects, Mencius

4:2 Interaction of things,
g esp.
p books
2 Lost Chinese classics preserved in2.
Japan and then spread back home:Huang Kan 皇侃 (488-545):
Commentaries of the Analects(《論語義疏》)

Takeuchi Yoshio（1886-1966）

4:2 Interaction of things,
g esp.
p books
3. Interaction between Japan and Korea:
BetweenBeteen 1395 and 1443,
1443 Japanese enenvoys
o swere sent to Korea annually for Buddhist
sutras.
sutras4:3 Interaction of thoughts
g1 Mencius
1.
Mencius’ theory of ostracizing despots:→ Japan
2. “Cultural identity” in the East Asianinteraction:• Toteikan 藤貞幹 (1732-97):
Shōkōhatsu (《衝口發》)
vs.
• Motoori Norinaga 本居宣長 (1732-1801):
Kenkyōjin (《鉗狂人》)“The Problem of Korea” (韓の問題)

55..
Conclusion

1. From “state-centrism” to the pan-EastpAsian perspective:
1) J
Japan: “C“Center off E
Excellence”
ll” program.
2) “Brain of Korea in the 21st Century” project→ HK Project3) Programs in the Institute for Advanced Studies
in Humanities and Social Sciences, National
Taiwan University.

transnational, multi-lingual, border-crossing

2. Ying-shih Yu（1930-）

Yu receiving the degree ofhonoraryy doctor of KansaiUniversity

1) “Turn“Toff new cultural
ltlhistory”
2) Each and every society isworth studying notbecause of its being part ofa wider context, but of its
inner value3) Revisit the Asian traditions∴ New horizons in the
study of East Asian
cultural interaction