朝鲜使臣笔下的明代通州

The Descriptions of Tongzhou Town of Ming Dynasty by Korean Envoys

在中国与朝鲜长时间相互交往的过程中,中国经济的繁荣发达已经成为朝鲜的社会集体想象。朝鲜使臣在使行中国时,对明朝经济发达的通州留下了许多珍贵的记载。他们不仅记载了通州经济的繁荣,而且对京杭大运河的政治和军事作用提出了自己的见解。他们对通州漕运的盛况给予了详细的记载,并从细节上对中国的漕运制度进行了仔细的观察。通过对通州盛况的观照,朝鲜使臣进一步强化了对中国经济繁荣发达的社会集体想象,而这种社会集体想象,则是朝鲜使臣们希望本国繁荣富强的心理反映。

＂Being Prosperous＂ had been a social collective imagination upon China in Korean people＇s minds. Tongzhou, one of the most prosperous towns of Ming Dynasty, impressed Korean envoys deeply when they visited China. Many treasured records of Tongzhou have been left since these envoys not only described the flourishing water communication lines, but also evaluated the political and military roles of Beijing-Hangzhou Canal and explored the system of water communication in details. These descriptions and records enhanced the above imagination, which actually reflected the envoys＇ desire for a prosperous and strong country of their own.