A Study Of Zhou Huang's Ryukyu Poems

In the fifth year of the reign of emperor Hongwu of the Ming dynasty(1372),Zhu Yuanzhang sent Yang zai to instruct Ryukyu.In the second year of Yongle(1404),Ming Chengzu ordered the ministry of protocol to appoint Wu Ning who is Prince of Zhongshan become king of Ryukyu.This was the beginning of China's history of conferring to Ryukyu.Ryukyu and Ming & Qing dynasty in China lasted for 507 years the friendly diplomatic relationship.Ryukyu Kings officially conferring the party legitimacy for the Ming and Qing dynasties,the Ming and Qing dynasties sapposhi delegation to Ryukyu,conferring ceremony is held or acceded to the throne as the new king of Ryukyu,or Ryukyu tribute to China,never stop for hundreds of years.When an imperial envoy leaves for Ryukyu,he often leaves records of his titleconferring envoys and poems and writings related to Ryukyu.They has a strong literary and historical value and is an indispensable part of China's maritime literature.In the 21 st year of emperor Qianlong(1756),Zhou Huang appointed deputy envoy Quan Kui as envoy to Ryukyu.He wrote sixteen volumes of the imperial annals of Ryukyu and published them in the hall of martial valor.His poems and articles about Ryukyu are mainly collected in Haidong collection,Haidong sequel and Haishan preserved manuscripts,and several articles are scattered in other works about Ryukyu.Zhou Huang's poems about Ryukyu were influenced by Su Shi's poems in style,which showed the characteristic of elegance.Ideologically,it was influenced by the distinction between Hua and Yi in Qing dynasty.He created exotic images of Ryukyu nobles,Ryukyu scholar-officials,Ryukyu civilians and other foreign image.His poems about navigation,shipwreck,sunrise at sea and other Marine themes,which are rare in ancient Chinese literature,are an important part of Chinese Marine literature.We can see the relationship between ancient Chinese scholar-officials and the ocean culture,as well as the germination of the sea power consciousness.