2023 International Conference on the Maritime Silk Road

“900 Years of the Illustrated Account of the Xuanhe Embassy to Goryeo”

- the 900th anniversary of the visit of the Song envoys led by Xu Jing to Goryeo / September 22th, 9 am,Sangria Beach Hotel in Mokpo -

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage (Director: Kim Seong-bae) in the Cultural Heritage Administration hosts the international conference on the maritime silk road under the title “900 Years of the Illustrated Account of the Xuanhe Embassy to Goryeo.” The conference will be held at nine o’clock on September 22 at Sangria Beach Hotel in Mokpo.
The international conference of the maritime silk road has been held annually since 2006 with the aim of sharing the results of the research on maritime cultural heritage between experts in Korea and overseas and constructing an international network for specialized research cooperation. The event held this year to mark the 900th anniversary of the visit of the Song envoys led by Xu Jing to Goryeo is aimed at understanding Illustrated Account of the Xuanhe Embassy to Goryeo (Xuanhe Fengshi Gaoli Tujing) from a new viewpoint.
Illustrated Account of the Xuanhe Embassy to Goryeo (Gaoli Tujing) is a book of illustrated text on Goryeo culture authored by Xu Jing one year after visiting Goryeo (918-1392) in 1123 as a Song envoy under orders from Emperor Huizong of Song (1082–1135) and staying there for about a month before returning to his country. The book originally consisted of illustrations (圖, tu) and texts (經, jing) related to a variety of cultural aspects of Goryeo, but only the texts remain today. The topics that attracted the attention of the Song envoy visiting Goryeo were extensive from the daily life of Korean people in the Goryeo capital Gaegyeong and folk customs to various household items, providing valuable sources of information for the study of Korean society in the Goryeo period.
Participants in this international conference present their own imaginations and interpretations of the illustrations contained in the original edition of the book Gaoli Tujing, though they failed to survive today just like the book A Picture-book Without Pictures (1839) wherein Danish author Hans Christian Andersen created paintings using texts or Songs Without Words wherein German composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote songs only with piano tunes, helping increase understanding of the significance of the maritime history in the Goryeo period.
The presentations in the event are not limited to the contents of the Gaoli Tujing but deal with a greater variety of topics starting with the keynote lecture “Facts and Significance of the Song Envoys Sent to Goryeo in 1123 – From the Viewpoint of the Grand Diplomacy Project for Goryeo” presented by Professor Gang Bong-ryong from Mokpo University. The keynote is followed by other presentations: ▲ “How Reliable is the Gaoli Tujing?” (Sem Andrec Vermeersch, professor, Seoul National University); ▲ “Shape and Structure of the Divine Vessels Based on The Illustration of the Tang Ship Collected by the University of Tokyo Library” (Mun Gyeong-ho, professor, Kongju National University); ▲ “Exquisite Dishware of Goryeo and the Gaoli Tujing” (Park Ji-yeong, National Intangible Heritage Center); ▲ “Size and Significance of the Divine Vessels and Passenger Boats Recorded in the Gaoli Tujing” (Yi jong-bong, Pusan National University); ▲ “Significance of the Stencil Duplicator Edition of the Gaoli Tujing in the National Museum of Korea” (Gang Min-gyeong, curatorial researcher, Jeju National Museum); ▲ “Studies of the Gaoli Tujing in Japan and Prospect from the Eurasian Viewpoint” (Yokaichi Yasuhiro, professor, Rikkyo University); ▲ “Layout of the Song Envoy Reception Space on Gunsando Island Based on the Gaoli Tujing” (Jin Ho-sin, curatorial researcher, National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage); and ▲ “Facts of the Research on the Gaoli Tujing in Taiwan and Measures for Improvement” (Chen Yuxiu, National Palace Museum of Taiwan).
The presentations and discussions are followed by a comprehensive discussion chaired by Park Jong-gi (Emeritus Professor of Kookmin University) wherein the presenters and discussants—Jang Ji-yeon (professor, Daejeon University), Park Hyeon-gyu (professor, Soon Chun Hyang University), Choe Myeong-ji (curatorial researcher, Gwangju National Museum), Yi Jun-hyeok (curatorial researcher, Busan Museum), Kim Bang-ul (researcher, Korean Studies Institute), Han Seong-uk (representative director, National Cultural Heritage Research Institute), Byeon Nam-ju (professor, Kookmin University), and Kim Ae-gyeong (curatorial researcher, National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage)—exchange their ideas on a variety of topics related to maritime cultural heritage.
The event is open to anyone who agrees to go through a simple registration process at the entrance to the event venue. The sourcebook of the conference is accessible through the official website (www.seamuse.go.kr) of the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage.
The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage in the Cultural Heritage Administration will continue to devote its resources to boosting cooperation between researchers and academic organizations and provide opportunities for various academic events aimed at promoting the interest of the public in maritime cultural heritage.

Attachment
1. Event Schedule
2. Guidance and Promotional Material