A Study Of Sino-Ryukyu Friendly Relationship On Historical Remains

Okinawa originated from ancient Ryukyu. The diplomatic relation between China and Ryukyu was established as early as 1372 A.D., and the offering-and-tribute relations of the two countries lasted for 500 years until the year 1879 when Ryukyu was annexed by Japan. The survey and exploration of the historical remains about the friendly Sino-Ryukyu relations during the Ming and Qing Dynasties has recently become an important branch in this field, which provides direct historical references for reinforcement of the Sino-Japan friendship. To promote the bilateral communication, the Ming and Qing governments together with Ryukyu set up special receptive agencies and built ship making basements, favorable harbors and religious temples. All these historical sites become great monuments for the bilateral communication, and the tombstones for dead Ryukyuan in China, the Ryukyuan tributes and their manuscripts or paintings in the Forbidden City of Beijing witness the" friendly contact in history. Up till now, the Ryukyuan descendants still come to China in search of their roots, seeking their outstanding forefathers who made great contributors to the Ryukyuan Kingdom and historical sites left by the 36 family trees and their descendants in Fujian. Meanwhile, Chinese scholars, following the route of Rykyuan tribute officials, try to explore their hardworking for the Sino-Ryukyu friendship in history. Based on the historical documents, the thesis will make a survey of historical remains about agency, religion, navigation and ship making, people, inscriptions, tombstones and exhibitions in such areas as Okinawa, Fuzhou, South Fujian, the tribute routes and Beijing, through research methods of history, archaeology and anthropology and multimedia techniques. The thesis will reveal the friendly history of Sino-Ryukyu relations to the world and explore the historical remains indicating the Sino-Ryukyuan contact, which is of both historical and practical significance for the current development of Sino-Japan relation.