Book of Liang - Books - Famous Chinese Shopping City

March 8, 2014


		1 Introduction 2 The State of Wa 3 The State of Wenshen 4 The State of Dahan 5 The State of Fusang 6 See also 7 External links

Famous Chinese Shopping City Books

Book of Liang

Wikipedia

The Book of Liang (Chinese language|Ch: 梁書, Liangshu), was compiled under Yao Silian 姚思廉 in 635.

It contains the history of the Liang dynasty, and various descriptions of countries to the east of China. One of its best-known passages is that of the monk Hui-Shen of the country of Fusang, 20,000 li east of China.

The Chinese measure of distance (Li (Chinese unit)|Li) used in the Book of Liang probably corresponds to 77 meters, as is the usage for the Book of the Three Kingdoms and other writings of the period.

The Book of Liang is part of the Twenty-Four Histories canon of Chinese history.

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The State of Wa

The Wa are thought to have been the statelet of Japan located in the area of Kyushu.

"The people are all tattoed. Their territory is about 20,000 li (1,500 kilometers) from our realm, roughly to the east of Guiji (modern Shaoxing (Zhejiang)). To get there, it is necessary to follow the coast and go beyond the Korean state to the south-east for about 500 kilometers, then for the first time cross a sea to a small island 75 kilometers away, then cross the sea again for 75 kilometers to Miro country (Ch: 未盧國, modern Tosu, Saga|Tosu city in Saga Prefecture, Japan). 50 kilometers to the southeast is the country of Ito (Ch:伊都國). 10 kilometers to the southeast is the country of Nu (Ch:奴國). 10 kilometers to the east is the country of 不彌國. 20 days to the south by boat is the country of 投馬國. 10 days to the south by boat and one month by land is the country of 邪馬臺國." (Ch:倭者　自云太伯之後　俗皆文身　去帶方萬二千餘里　大抵在會稽之東　相去絶遠　從帶方至倭　循海水行　歴韓國　乍東乍南　七千餘里始度一海　海闊千餘里　名瀚海　至一支國　又度一海千餘里　名未盧國　又東南陸行五百里　至伊都國　又東南行百里　至奴國　又東行百里　至不彌國　又南水行二十日　至投馬國　又南水行十日　陸行一月日　至邪馬臺國, Liang Shu, 7th century)

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The State of Wenshen

"The country of Wenshen is 7,000 li (500 kilometers) north-east of the country of Wa. Over their body, they have tattoos depicting wild beasts. They have three tattoed mark on their forehead. The mark are straight for noble people, and they are small for the people. The people like music, but are not very generous inspite of their affluence, and do not give anything to strangers. They have houses, but no castles. The palace of their king is ladden with gold and silver. The houses are surrounded by a ditch, about one cho in width, which they fill with water. They have many rare things in their markets. Criminals are immediately punished with leather whips. Those who commit crimes passable of death are made to be eaten by wild beasts. Crimes can also be redeemed through emprisonement without food." (Ch:文身國　在倭國東北七千餘里　人體有文如獸　其額上有三文　文直者貴　文小者賤　土俗歡樂　物豐而賤　行客不齎糧　有屋宇　無城郭　其王所居　飾以金銀珍麗　繞屋爲塹　廣一丈　實以水銀　雨則流于水銀之上　市用珍寶　犯輕罪者則鞭杖　犯死罪則置猛獸食之　有枉則猛獸避而不食　經宿則赦之, Liang Shu, 7th century)

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The State of Dahan

"The people of Dahan are 5,000 li (400 kilometers) east of the Wenchen. They do not have an army and are not aggressive. Their manners are the same as the Wenchen, but their language differs." (Ch:大漢國　在文身國東五千餘里　無兵戈　不攻戰　風俗並與文身國同而言語異, Liang Shu, 7th century)

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The State of Fusang

"Fusang is 20,000 li (1,500 kilometers) to the East of the country of Da Han, and located to the east of China" (扶桑在大漢國東二萬餘里,地在中國之東, Liang Shu)

"On the land of Fusang, the mulberry plants produced oval-shaped leaves similar to paulownia and edible purplish red fruits. (Ch:其土多扶桑木,故以為名.扶桑葉似桐,而初生如,國人食之,實如梨而赤). The place was rich in copper and traces of gold and silver but no iron. The native tribes in Fusang were civilized, living in well-organized communities. They produced paper from the bark of the red mulberry plants for writing (Ch:有文字,以扶桑皮為紙) and produced cloth from the fibers of the bark (Ch:績其皮為布以為衣,亦以為綿). Their houses or cabins were constructed with red mulberry wood. The fruits and young shoots of the plants were one of their food sources. They raised deer for meat and milk, just as the Chinese raised cattle at home, and produced cheese with deer milk. They traveled on horseback and transported their goods with carts or sledges pulled by horses, buffalo or deer." (Liang Shu, in Lily Chow)

On the organization of the country:

"An emperor, or a main chief, with the help of several officials, governed the country. The majority of people were law-abiding citizens. The country had no army or millitary defense (Ch:無城郭.有文字,以扶桑皮為紙.無兵甲,不攻戰) but two jails, one in north and the other in south of the country. Those who had committed serious crimes were sent to the north and they stayed there for their entire lives. These inmates, however, could get married. If they got married and produced children, their sons became slaves and daughters remained as maids" (Liang Shu, in Lily Chow)

On the social pratices:

"The marriage arrangement was relatively simple. If a boy wanted to marry a girl, he had to build a cabin next to the home of the girl and stay there for a year. If the girl liked him they would get married; otherwise he would be asked to go away.???When a person died in the community his body would be cremated. The mourning period varied from seven days for the death of a parent to five days for a grandparent and three days for a brother or sister. During their mourning period they were not supposed to consume food, only water. They had no religion." (Liang Shu, in Lily Chow)

The Liang Shu also describes the conversion of Fusang to the Buddhist faith by five Buddhist monks from Gandhara:

"In former times, the people of Fusang knew nothing of the Buddhist religion, but in the second year of Da Ming of the Song dynasty (485 CE), five monks from Kipin (Kabul region of Gandhara) travelled by ship to that country. They propagated Buddhist doctrine, circulated scriptures and drawings, and advised the people to relinquish worldly attachments. As a results the customs of Fusang changed" (Ch:"其俗舊無佛法,宋大明二年,罽賓國嘗有比丘五人游行至其國,流通佛法,經像,教令出家,風俗遂改.", Liang Shu, 7th century CE).

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