뉴스레터

1-year investigation of China's rock carvings

During my dispatch service at China's Peking University for one year from November 16, 2018, I intensively surveyed prehistoric and ancient relics of rock carvings scattered across China. For this survey, I first drew up cards for rock carvings discovered in China and divided China into six regions—the southern, southeastern coastal, central, central western, northwestern, and northeastern areas—before determining research areas and schedules in consideration of the rainy season and heat. In March, I began research in the southern region, followed by southeastern coast in April and the central western area in June. It rained every day during the period covering the southeastern coast in April, so I rescheduled the central part for until after September.

I investigated 30 relics of rock carvings in 12 provinces, including minority autonomous prefectures, until my return home on November 7. They included eight relics in the southern region, including Yunnan and Guizhou provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; nine relics along the southeastern coast, including Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces; six relics in the central western area, including Qinghai and Gansu provinces and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; 6 relics in the northwestern region, including Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia; and one relic in Jiangsu Province. Various circumstances prevented my survey of the central and northeastern regions.

Exploring the cultural history of pictures through China's rock carvings

The reason that I surveyed the historic sites with such time, devotion, and materials was to examine the world of China's rock carvings. I also wanted to confirm whether prehistoric and ancient rock drawings in China's vast continent are really the cultural heritage of Han; if not, I wanted to identify to which they belong. I wanted to confirm the following questions with the pictures on rock carvings (pictorial data): What is the southern limit line of the northern hunting and nomadic cultures? Who initiated the indigenous cultures in China's southern and northwestern regions? Is there originality in the Middle Kingdom culture centered on Han, and if so how does it look?

I also wanted to look at different motifs, themes, and modes of rock carvings in accordance with differences in age, region, and main cultural characters and what motivated them; ultimately I wanted to bring to light the prehistoric and ancient homogeneity and differences between Eurasia and the Korean Peninsula. Through this I wanted to ascertain aspects of the center, surroundings, and expansion of specific cultures and look at the problems of exchange and culture assimilation with neighboring areas. The reason is that I believe that it will be possible to escape from the dogmatism entrenched in subregionalism and define correct concepts about specific regions, eras, and ethnic cultures.

Surveys of relics were not easy, but…

Continental China is 44 times the size of the Korean Peninsula and 96 times that of South Korea. It was not easy for a stranger from a foreign country to travel to rock carvings scattered amongst the nooks and corners of China to survey them. As they were mostly far from people's living areas and in hidden spaces, even local residents were largely unaware of their exact locations. To visit such historic sites, I had to look laboriously for vehicles that could drive in mountainous areas and for ships that would go up and down against the river. Although I obtained means of transport, it was essential to find those who know where the historic sites are, but this too was easier said than done.

In fact, my travel routes to historic sites were adventurous the entire time. I was checked and searched several times and asked questions more closely resembling interrogations. I barely met people after hours of waiting and walking a few kilometers of the mountain path, and it would very often start raining and it would become dark in the middle of the day. There was never a time when I could not receive help from local residents, but most of them did not ask for anything special in return. All I could give them was a mere pack of cigarettes or a pair of socks, and one simple lunch after a long time was the best I could give to show my appreciation.

sun god (Zhouzi Mountain, Wuhai, Inner Mongolia)

dance (Cangyuan, Yunnan)

face mask (Helan Mountain, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region)

Results of survey conducted despite difficulty

After many twists and turns, I could investigate the relics of rock carvings in the south, southeastern coast, central west, northwest, etc. This enabled me to sketch China's rock carvings roughly and confirm the universality of rock drawings in the Eurasian continent as well as China's originality. Spatial conditions, manufacturing techniques, and local residents' perceptions and attitudes at historic sites turned out to be similar regardless of the region. Also, there were clear differences, judging from the fact that paintings beyond the Great Wall including the Tibetan Plateau set animals as the main motifs, whereas scenes of collective dancing and rites were painted in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces.

The rock art in Guangdong Province has a strong homogeneity with Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan; such historic sites as Xitang in Zhejiang Province, Hutubi in Xinjiang, and Jiangjunya in Jiangsu Province boast unique motifs and modes that cannot be seen in any places of the central Eurasian continent. New drawings are still painted in Cangyuan of Yunnan Province, and in Balikun of Xinjiang there are traces of offerings being made secretly near the historic site. The rock carvings of Huashan of Guangxi Province are large enough to overpower onlookers, and there are some rock drawings painted on rocks that are not very big, like Hoito Tara in Qinghai.

I plan to publish a book introducing China's rock carvings based on what has been surveyed so far. I am now classifying and analyzing the data surveyed and collected at the sites. Through this I can shed some light on who made the rock carvings in China, what they mean in the massive cultural sphere of Eurasia, and what correlations they have with prehistoric and ancient cultures on the Korean Peninsula. It is my desire to most vividly introduce the world of China's rock carvings that I witnessed on site to the relevant academics both at home and abroad.