The Chinese characters for "Fusang"

Fusang (扶桑, Mandarin Pīnyīn: fúsāng) is a country described by the Chinese Buddhist missionary Hui Shen (慧深; Japanese pronunciation: Kei-shin) in 499 CE, as a place 20,000 Chinese li beyond the sea to the east of China (this is either 1,500 kilometers or around 10,000 kilometers from China, depending on the definition of the li). Hui-Sheng went by ship to Fusang, and upon his return reported his findings to the Chinese Emperor. His descriptions are recorded in the 7th century Liang Shu (History of the Liang Dynasty) by Yao Silian. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 355 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (413 × 698 pixels, file size: 25 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Characters for Fusang. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 355 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (413 × 698 pixels, file size: 25 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Characters for Fusang. ... A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ... Hui Shen or Hoei Shin (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally: intelligent profound) was a Chinese Buddhist monk. ... Events March 1 - Pope Symmachus makes Antipope Laurentius bishop of Nocera in Campania. ... The li (里 lǐ) is a Chinese unit of distance, until recently usually considered to be about 576 metres, but is now standardised at a half a kilometre or 500 metres (547 yards). ... The Book of Liang (Ch: 梁書, Liangshu), was compiled under Yao Silian 姚思廉 in 635. ... Liang Dynasty (梁朝 (Pinyin: Liáng cháo)) (502-557), also known as Southern Liang Dynasty (南梁), was the third of Southern dynasties in China, followed by the Chen Dynasty. ...

An earlier account, from the annals of the Han dynasty, also declares that in 219 BCE emperor Shi Huang sent "an expedition of young men and women to a wonderful country lying far off to the east, across the ocean, called Fu-Sang. The young people settled there and were happy". The monarch known now as Qin Shi Huang (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chin Shih-huang) (259 BCE – September 10, 210 BCE),[1] personal name Yíng Zhèng, was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 247 BCE to 221 BCE (officially still under the Zhou Dynasty), and...

Interpretations

Eastern Japan

A common interpretation of the term "Fusang" is Japan, although in Hui-Sheng's report Fusang is presented as distinct from the statelet of Wa, another name associated with ancient Japan and probably describing Japanese communities in the island of Kyūshū. Chinese character for Wō or Wa, formed by the person radical 亻and a wÄ›i or wa 委 phonetic element Japanese Wa Japan, Japanese, from Chinese Wō 倭), is the oldest recorded name of Japan. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In Chinese mythology, Fusang refers to a divine tree in the East, from where the sun rises. A similar tree, known as ruomu exists in the west, and each morning the sun was said to rise from fusang and fall on ruomu. Chinese legend has 10 birds (typically ravens) living in the tree, and as nine rested, the tenth would carry the sun on its journey. This legend has similarities with the Chinese tale of the fictional hero Houyi (后羿), sometimes referred to as The Archer, who is credited with saving the world by shooting down nine of the suns when one day all ten took to the air simultaneously. Some scholars have identified the bronze trees found at the archaeological site Sanxingdui with these Fusang trees. The term Fusang would later designate Japan in Chinese poems. Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written form. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Sanxingdui (三星堆 san1 xing1 dui1) is an archaeological site, about 40 kilometres from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, China. ...

The Liang Shu seems to use its contemporary definition of the Chinese mile (at 77 meters). For example, it very accurately describes that the statelet of Wa (in Kyūshū, Japan) was 2,000 li (150 kilometers) across the sea from the Korean Peninsula with an island in the middle (modern Tsushima Islands): The Book of Liang (Ch: 梁書, Liangshu), was compiled under Yao Silian 姚思廉 in 635. ... Chinese character for Wō or Wa, formed by the person radical 亻and a wÄ›i or wa 委 phonetic element Japanese Wa Japan, Japanese, from Chinese Wō 倭), is the oldest recorded name of Japan. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ...

"To get from Daifang to the country of the Wa, 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 city in Saga Prefecture, Japan)." Liang Shu Daifang (帶方郡 dai4 fang1 jun4) was one of the Chinese commanderies in the Korean peninsula. ... Tosu (鳥栖市; -shi) is a city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. ... Saga Prefecture ) is located in the northwest part of the island of KyÅ«shÅ«, Japan. ...

For Fusang, the distance of 20,000 li would then represent about 1,500 kilometers, and would be roughly consistent with eastern Japan.

Fusang is pronounced Fusō (扶桑) in the Japanese language, and is one of the names to designate ancient Japan. Several warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy were named Fusō (the ironclad IJN Fusō, or the WWII battleship IJN Fusō). Several companies, such as Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation also bear the name. Fuso or Fusō may refer to: Fusō is the Japanese pronounciation of the word Fusang (扶桑), an ancient naming for Japan. ... Not to be confused with the Javanese language. ... For Combined Fleet, please see that article. ... The IJN Fusō (扶桑) was an ironclad warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (Japanese: 三菱ふそうトラック・バス株式会社) is a Japanese manufacturer of trucks and buses and is a subsidiary of German car manufacturer Daimler Chrysler. ...

The Americas

This 1753 map by the French cartographer Philippe Buache locates Fusang ("Fou-sang des Chinois", "Fusang of the Chinese") north of the State of California, in the area of British Columbia.

According to some historians since the work of Joseph de Guignes (Le Fou-Sang des Chinois est-il l'Amérique? Mémoires de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, tome 28, Paris, 1761), the distances given by Hui-Sheng (20,000 Chinese li) would locate Fusang on the west coast of the American continent, when taking the ancient Han-period definition of the Chinese li. Some 18th century European maps locate Fusang north of the State of California, in the area of British Columbia. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,811 × 1,923 pixels, file size: 1,001 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,811 × 1,923 pixels, file size: 1,001 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... This 1753 map by Philippe Buache locates Fusang (Fou-Sang des Chinois, Fusang of the Chinese) north of the State of California. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944... Joseph de Guignes (October 19, 1721 - 1800), French orientalist, was born at Pontoise. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the continents of North America[1] and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944...

The Chinese li, or Chinese mile unit of distance, varied through time, and although it was roughly 435 meters during the Chin and Han dynasties, it was approximately 77 meters under the Wei and Western Qin dynasties, as used as such in the Sanguo Zhi or Records of Three Kingdoms. With the Han li, the 20,000 li distance would translate into about 8,700 kilometers, a close approximation of the distance between China and British Columbia (8,600 kilometers). Qin Dynasty in 210 BC Capital Xianyang Language(s) Chinese Government Monarchy History  - Unification of China 221 BC  - Death of Qin Shi Huangdi 210 BC  - Surrender to Liu Bang 206 BC The Qin Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chin Chao) (221 BC - 206 BC) was preceded by the... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication to Cao Wei 220... Northern Wei Buddha Maitreya, 443 AD. A Buddhist stela from the Northern Wei period, build in the early 6th century. ... The Western Qin (Simplified Chinese character: 西秦, Traditional Chinese character: 西秦, pinyin Xīqín (385-400, 409-431)) was a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. ... The Records of Three Kingdoms (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the official and authoritative historical text on the period of Three Kingdoms covering from 189 to 280, that was composed by Chen Shou in the 3rd century. ...

The description of the plants and people in the strange land led some scholars to suggest that the Chinese had visited America a thousand years before Columbus. Some Chinese and Buddhist artistic influences on the Mayan art of the period have also been suggested.^{[citation needed]} Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contacts were interactions between the indigenous peoples of the Americas and peoples of other continents – Europe, Africa, Asia, or Oceania – before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. ... This article is about the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ...

Descriptions of Fusang

Mention of Fusang ("Fousang des Chinois") on a 1792 French world map, in the area of modern British Columbia.

According to the report of Hei-Shin to the Chinese emperor upon his return, described in the Liang Shu: Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,152 × 1,536 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,152 × 1,536 pixels, file size: 1. ...

"Fusang is 20,000 li to the East of the country of the Great Han, and located to the east of China"

"On that land, there are many Fusang plants (perhaps red mulberry) that produce oval-shaped leaves similar to paulownia and edible purplish-red fruits like pears. 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 Fusang plants for writing and produced cloth from the fibers of the bark, which they used for robes or wadding. 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: For other uses, see Mulberry (disambiguation). ... The Book of Liang (Ch: 梁書, Liangshu), was compiled under Yao Silian 姚思廉 in 635. ...

"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 military defense 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 practices:

"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: Gandhāra (Sanskrit: गन्धार, Persian; Gandara, Waihind) (Urdu: گندھارا) is the name of an ancient Indian Mahajanapada, currently in northern Pakistan (the North-West Frontier Province and parts of northern Punjab and Kashmir) and eastern Afghanistan. ...

"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 result, the customs of Fusang changed".

See also: Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Emperor Ming of Liu Song ((劉)宋明帝) (439-472), personal name Liu Yu (劉彧), courtesy name Xiubing (休炳), nickname Rongqi (榮期), was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. ... The Song Dynasty (宋朝, previous spelling Sung) (420-479) was first of the four Southern Dynasties in China, followed by the Qi Dynasty. ... For other places with the same name, see Kabul (disambiguation). ... Blue-eyed Central Asian and East-Asian Buddhist monks, Bezaklik, Eastern Tarim Basin, 9th-10th century. ...

Notes

References

• "Chasing Their Dreams. Chinese Settlement in the Northwest Region of British Columbia" by Lily Chow, Harbour Publishing, ISBN 0-920576-83-4
• "The Discovery of America by Chinese Buddhist Priests in the Fifth Century", Leland, New York: Barnes & Noble, 1973.

See also

• Chinese mythology
• Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact

Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written form. ... Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contacts were interactions between the indigenous peoples of the Americas and peoples of other continents – Europe, Africa, Asia, or Oceania – before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. ...

External links

• [1]
• [2]
• Description of Fusang in ancient Chinese literature 《梁書•五十四•列傳四十八》 in Big5 Chinese

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