뉴스레터

How much do we know about the ancient kingdom of Balhae that existed for 200 years as north and south states from the late 7th to the early 10th centuries along with Silla? Let’s start a historical journey, centering on primary historical records related to Balhae and newly discovered data. It will be interesting to find the hidden stories in Balhae history along with the diversity of interpretation and importance of data.

East Asia was more peaceful than it had ever been before from the eight century to the late ninth century, and Balhae actively interacted with Silla in the south, the Khitan in the west, Tang in the southwest, and Japan across the East Sea. There were people of Balhae who were not its official envoys but crossed mountains and seas to visit the world on the other side. What did they try to find at the risk of their lives?

Cheongamsa Temple, said to be built by the Balhae monk Jeongso

– Located in Yiwulu Shan of Beizhen in Liaoning Province,

a notice their states that it is the future being of Cheonchumango Temple built by Jeongso, referring to in the latest data.

Data related to the people of Balhae seeking truth

Data 1 Myself also promising to be a monk, I carried a package of books and set forth my ambitions. — In the fifth year of Chokei, the Japanese king bestowed platinum from far away, and I reached Changan. I received gold and a letter, and delivered them after reaching the temple. After receiving the gold, grand master Yeongseon came forth with 10,000 small crystals, two newly translated scriptures, and five envelopes of royal edict, and entrusted them to me; he asked me to deliver his gratitude for the country to Japan. — With the return date imminent, I sent 100 nyang of gold again. On April 7 in the second year of Taihe, I returned to the Yeonggyeong Temple and looked for grand master Yeongseon, but it had been awhile since he died. I shed tears of blood, and felt as if the mountain would collapse.

余亦身期降物負笈來宗覇業 --- 長慶五年日本大王遠賜百金達至長安 小子轉領金書送到䥫懃仙大師領金訖 將一万粒舎利新經兩部·造勅五通亦囑附小子 請到日本答謝國恩 --- 臨迴之日又附百金 以太和二年四月七日却到靈境寺求訪仙大師亡來日久 位我之血崩我之痛

“The Record of Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law” Volume 3, July 3 in the fifth year of Gaeseong

Data 2 In old times, Lee Gwang-hyeon was a man of Balhae. He lived as an orphan during childhood, and had a few servants and great fortunes. At the age of 20, Gwang-hyeon boarded a vessel of his hometown people and roamed around Cheongsa, Hoesu, and Zhejiang to engage in trading. Having travelled everywhere, he happened to meet an ascetic while crossing the sea. In the vessel with the ascetic, he talked day after day about his trip to several countries, including Silla, Balhae, and Japan. — Disembarking from the ship after reaching the eastern coast, the ascetic bid farewell to Gwang-hyeon, saying he would wander around Silla and Balhae.

昔李光玄者渤海人也少孤連氣僮僕數人家積珠金巨萬光玄年方弱冠乃逐鄉人舟船往來於青社淮浙之間貨易巡歷後卻過海遇一道人同在舟中朝夕與光玄言話巡歷新羅渤海日本諸國--- 後至東岸下船道人自欲遊新羅渤海告別光玄

‘Zhengtong Daozang,’ ‘Geumaekhwandanbaekmungyeol’

The monk of Balhae, Jeongso

Data 1 regards Jeongso, a monk of Balhae. Jeongso entered Tang and took Eunggong as his teacher while performing activities to seek the truth; Yeongseon was Eunggong’s teacher. Having received platinum and a letter from the Japanese king in 825, he reached Odaesan Mountain and delivered them to Yeongseon; he delivered small crystals and scriptures to the Japanese king at the request of Yeongseon. He came to the Yeonggyeong Temple in 828 to deliver 100 nyang of gold from the Japanese king again, but Yeongseon had already left the world. Jeongso had five rounds of trips bound for Yeongseon and the Japanese royal court, four of which involved trips to Tang, Balhae, Japan, Balhae, and Tang, crossing the oceans. He left writings, lamenting Yeongseon’s death. Later, aided by Jang Bogo, Ennin of Japan visited Odaesan Mountain in China, saw Jeongso’s writings, and recorded them in his book, which were the above material.

Remnant of Jeongso as diplomatic envoy

That Jeongso delivered and received things for Yeongseon can be found in other records by Japan. Headed by Goseungjo, a Balhae delegation visited Japan in 826 and delivered Yeongseon’s writings and articles; Jeongso was among the delegation.¹ When Goseungjo returned, the emperor asked Jeongso to deliver 100 nyang of gold to Yeongseon; King Seon of Balhae had his envoys visiting Tang deliver them. The envoys arrived in Odaesan Mountain, but the gold was not delivered since Yeongseon had already died; on their way back carrying platinum, they encountered a storm, and all of them drowned in Doripo (near Dalian, China’s Liaoning Province today). Japan became aware of the news through the writings of King Dae I-jin of Balhae, brought by Ha Bok-yeon in 842.² Jeongso was both a monk and a member of the diplomatic delegation.

Lee Gwang-hyeon: Balhae’s ascetic and trader

Data 2 is content regarding Lee Gwang-hyeon, Balhae’s Taoism practitioner, contained in “Daozang”, which compiled writings related to Taoism during the period of Zhengtong. Lee Gwang-hyeon was rich when he was young, but lived with his brothers and a few servants after losing his parents; he embarked on a tour of the world at the age of 20 to seek the truth. On his way back home around 24, he met an ascetic aged over 100 years, and practiced himself after acquiring the secrets of longevity. However, he was not satisfied with this, and began a trip to familiarize himself with another Taoism discipline; he met the ascetic called Hyeonsu in Sunggosan Mountain (Song Shan in Dengfeng Shi of Heinan Province today) in 889 (or 909) and realized what he wanted. Lee Gwang-hyeon traveled with the people of his homeland who were performing commercial activities, and being provided with the record in “Haikelun”³ calling him a “merchant”, he could now be viewed as a trader.

Traders of Balhae

Traders of Balhae appear in the books authored by Lee Gwang-hyeon. They came from Liaotung or the coastal region west of Balhae in the south and engaged in the coastal trade coming and going from the Shandong Peninsula of China’s eastern coast to the Yangtze River. They freely visited Tang, Silla, and Balhae, with some of them leaving the coastal region and arriving at Silla’s western coast across the West Sea to perform trading activities before returning to Balhae again. The traders also performed human exchanges by unloading religious personnel like Lee Gwang-hyeon at their destinations. As the Lee Gwang-hyeon family and other Balhae traders of his hometown engaged in the seaborne trade for several decades, not a short period of time, and consequently accumulated considerable wealth, they are presumed to have been strong maritime forces in East Asia at the time.

East Asia as seen through Jeongso and Lee Gwang-hyeon

As is known from activities of Jang Bogo and Ennin, the ninth century was not a period during which exchanges were impossible, although arrivals and departures were not free. Sillagwan and Balhaegwan were installed in Dengzhou, Tang’s arrival and departure port. Jeongso visited Tang, Balhae, and Japan as a member of the diplomatic mission although he was a monk, and Lee Gwang-hyeon and traders could visit Tang, Silla, and Balhae freely. There were Balhaedo (or Balhaero) in Tang and Japan, and Sillado, Khitando, Yeongjudo, and the Tribute Road (Tang Road: road to Tang) and Japan Road in Balhae. Back then, East Asia was not a world with blockades disabling a border crossing, but a world with exchanges encouraging people to look for each other, braving the danger of wild waves. From this part can we confirm that China’s argument that Balhae and Silla had no exchange in light of being on hostile terms and had no sense of unity as southern and northern kingdoms and thus did not belong to Korean history does not align with historical facts.

Footnotes

1. “Nihon Koki” Volume 34, May of the third year of Tencho

2. “Shoku Nihon Koki” Volume 11, March of the ninth year of Jowa

3. “Haikelun” is another printed edition of “Geumaekhwandanbaekmungyeol”. Here Lee Gwang-hyeon is called Lee Gwang Won, and Hyeon-su is Won-su due to taboos on naming.