欧洲旅行家所记元朝宫廷节庆

The Yuan Court Festivals Recorded by European Travelers

欧洲旅行家马可·波罗、和德理在华的身份让他们得以亲历元朝宫廷节庆并留下了详细记录,这是构建中国形象的核心文本。元朝宫廷礼仪的时代特点和类型,在马可·波罗《寰宇记》、和德理《行程记》中皆有反映,马可·波罗所记的两大节庆、和德理所记的四大节庆在元朝具体时段的历史背景中都可以得到解释。特定的仪式将旅行者与特定的时间和地点联系起来,为马可·波罗、和德理在中国的行迹提供了线索。在巡幸庆典、节庆中的服色与仪节等方面,中西史料的相互印证,证明了马可·波罗、和德理的旅行记作为史料的可靠性和重要性。

Among European travelers on the Silk Road during the 13th and 14th centuries, Marco Polo(1254-1324) and Odorico da Pordenone(ca. 1280-1331) provided particularly detailed descriptions of China. The historical value of these materials has been noted both Chinese and overseas scholars.Drawing on the new philological achievements of European academia on the studies of original texts in Latin, Italian, and French helps transcend the limits of using second-hand translations by previous scholars. Meanwhile, textual criticism of the Chinese historical documents by making reference to their recent translations in English and Japanese promotes research on the history of Yuan China and Sino-foreign relations. The considerable accounts of the Yuan imperial festivals by Marco Polo’s Devisement dou Monde and Odorico’s Relatio, constitute the core texts for contemporary travelers to construct the image of China.The two festivals recorded by Marco Polo and the four festivals recorded by Odorico da Pordenone can all be explained in the context of the historical realities in the two specific phases of the Yuan Dynasty. Marco Polo mentioned two festivals, one for the New Year and the other for the birthday of the Great Khan. Among the ten rituals recorded in the Yuanshi(History of the Yuan Dynasty), the first two are consistent with the accounts of Marco Polo. At the beginning of 1284, Qubilai held another ceremony in Dadu, but Marco Polo did not mention it, which confirms the fact that he had left Dadu for Yangzhou at that time. The other seven rituals were never held during Marco Polo ’ s stay in China. Among the four festivals recorded by Odorico da Pordenone, the first two are the same as those of Marco Polo, and for the other two unnamed by Odorico, in the historical context of the reign of Emperor Taiding(1324-1328), the options could be the crown prince’s birthday, the parade in the imperial city, or the welcoming ceremony on the occasion of the imperial parade returning to Dadu. In the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial parades between the two capitals and imperial huntings in the spring and autumn were institutionally implemented. The welcoming ceremonies when the imperial parade returned to Dadu each year actually became a festival. The details of the imperial guards, itinerary, and etiquette described by Marco Polo and Odorico da Pordenone are all confirmed by Chinese historical documents. Odorico da Pordenone’s recounting of the anecdote that he and the Franciscans met the Great Khan took place right in the welcoming ceremony when the emperor arrived in Dadu from Shangdu.After textual criticism, Odorico’s three-color costumes(de viride, de sanguineo, de croceo) in the court festival are in line with the green, scarlet and purple official costumes of the Yuan Dynasty. Marco Polo and Odorico also provided rich and credible details on the court banquet, the procedure for courtiers to present gifts, and the ceremonial deacons, etc.Corroboration of various Chinese and Western literatures can prove the authenticity and importance of the historical materials left by Marco Polo and Odorico. Many previously unresolved issues can be explained by the solid evidence of linguistic research and historical backgrounds. A specific ceremony can associate a traveler with specific time and place, which provides clues for Marco Polo and Odorico’s trackway in China. The travelogues of Marco Polo and Odorico da Pordenone actively promoted the images of Yuan China in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.