Why South Korean TV drama do a series on this? Options

[feiying]

They say Chinese and Korean cinema is crossing boundaries frequently and Korean drama has opened up to fusing the two. This would be a good topic. Lelang Commandery is very much the crossing or pollination between the early stages of Chinese and Korean people's culture (some even say Japan as well). Nationalism in our modern era had tried to silence this historic fact. Why let it be? Lelang commandery was to us what "Moorish Spain" was for Europe. There are many similarities. Today in Spain, the people detest any affiliation with Moors (their race, culture, religion, etc.). But, the fact is that the Moor influence is very much part of Spain and Spaniards whether they acknowledge it or not. No reconquista can ever erase that fact. Similarly, when Koguryo conquered that last fort in Lelang Commandery (after fall of Han Dynasty in China) it still could not erase everything.

We should all someday sit down with cool minds and research our glorious past without all the hotheaded and nationalist sensitivity. I propose the same for those Spaniards and Arabic Mooroccans.

Lelang Commandery

Lelang was one of the Chinese commanderies which was kept in the Korean Peninsula over 400 years until Goguryeo conquered it in 313 A.D.

In 108 B.C. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty conquered the area under Youqu (右渠), a grandson of Wei Man. The Emperor set up Lelang, Lintun, Xuantu and Zhenfan, known as the Four Commanderies of Han (漢四郡) in the Korean Peninsula. The Book of Han records Lelang belonged to Youzhou, located in northwestern Korea consisted of 25 prefectures, 62,812 houses, and the population was 406,748.[1] Its capital was put near P'yŏngyang. (Rangrang 樂浪/락랑 is a district in central P'yŏngyang today.)

After Emperor Wu's death, Zhenfan and Lintun were abolished and Xuantu was moved to Liaodong. Some prefectures of the abolished commanderies were incorporated into Lelang. Lelang after the consolidation is sometimes called "Greater Lelang commandery". Since Lelang became too large for a commandery, the Defender of the Southern Section (南部都尉) was set up to rule the seven prefectures which formerly belonged to Zhenfan. Before that, the Defender of the Eastern Section (東部都尉) was put to rule former Lintun's seven prefectures.

Massive Chinese immigrations, mainly from Yan (Hebei) and Qi (Shandong), continued without cessation, implanting Chinese cultures in the peninsula. The Yan people came from the Yan area, around what is now Beijing, via Liaodong and the Qi people came across the Yellow Sea. Among them, the Wang clan, whose ancestor is said to have fled there from Qi in the 2nd century B.C., became powerful. It is presumed that most of Lelang Chinese spoke the Yan dialect.

While the Han Dynasty was took over by Wang Mang and China fell into chaos, Wang Tiao (王調) started a rebellion and broke away from China. In 30 A.D. the rebellion was crushed by Wang Zun (王遵), whom Emperor Guangwu appointed as Governor of Lelang. Lelang came under the direct control of China again. However, the shortages of human resources caused by the turmoil resulted in the abolishment of eastern seven prefectures. The administration was left to the Hui (濊) natives, whose chiefs were conferred marquisate.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Gongsun Du, appointed as the Governor of Liaodong in 184, extending his semi-independent domain to the Lelang and Xuantu commanderies. His son Gongsun Kang separated the southern half from the Lelang commandery and established the Daifang commandery in 204. As a result, the Lelang commandery reverted to its original size.

In 236 under the order of Ming Di of Kingdom of Wei, Sima Yi crushed the Gongsun family and annexed Liaodong, Lelang and Daifang to Wei. Lelang was inherited by the Jin Dynasty. Due to bitter civil wars, Jin became unable to control the Korean peninsula at the beginning of the 4th century. Zhang Tong (張統) broke away from Jin in Lelang and Daifang. After Luoyang, the capital of Jin, was occupied by the Xiongnu in 311, he went for help to Murong Hui, a Xianbei warlord, with his subjects. Murong Hui put another small Lelang commandery in Liaodong. The former Lelang was annexed by Goguryeo.

[feiying]

Some Korean historian wrote this:

Lolang has played an understudied and underappreciated role in Korean history. North Koreans completely deny its existance entirely.

The Han Dynasty first had three commandaries in north and central Korea. The largest was Lolang (Nangnang) and the others were Chenfan (Chinbon) and Lintun (Imdun). The original San Han states in the south of Korea destroyed Chenfan and Lintun. Taifang (Taebang) was established later. In order to placate marauding Sam Han states (particularly Mah Han), Taifang and Lolang gave them royal symbols, trade and culture. Silla and Kaya crowns have some similarities but are completely different from Paekje crowns. The Paekje kings conqured the Mah Han states and the Mah Han states got their crowns from Taifang. Lolang is really the main colony here as Taifang was really a buffer region to seperate Lolang from the Sam Han states. Lolang and Taifang had an enormous influence on all the tribal states of Korea. The contributions of the Chinese commandaries cannot be underestimated, but at the same time, it cannot be overestimated either. Archeology of Lolang clearly indicate a Chinese civilization, but it does not extend beyond the main centers of commerce and administration. The majority of the population in Lolang were still Korean tribal people working for the Chinese administrative headquarters in Anak and Wanggomsong (Pyongyang). Excavation of Lolang tombs indicate people who adopted Chinese dress, art and symbols, but at the same time, these tombs contained a large amount of native Korean artifacts such as shamanistic symbols, bronze mirrors and bronze and/or stone daggers that are clearly not of Chinese origin. This can mean that many of even Lolang's upper class were sinofied Koreans. Ultimately, Koguryo conquered Lolang (not mentioning Taifang as it couldn't survive without the existance of Lolang) in the middle of the 4th century. The Chinese polulation in Lolang became Koguryo subjects and were completely assimilated. Lolang's administrative capital- Wanggomsong- became Pyongyang, Koguryo's capital. Surnames, such as Hong, Wang and Han, were originally Chinese settlers from Lolang.

The Chinese enjoyed a rich life as colonial overlords in Lolang, living and working among themselves, apart from the local populace. Lolang's new residents brought new concepts and techniques in art, philosophy, architecture, and government administration. The district governor, his staff and other government officials moved about the city in their canopied chariots on streets paved with brick. The Chinese nobility adorned itself with delicate gold jewelry inlaid with semi-precious stones and dined on excellent lacquerware brought from China. Chinese merchants, artisans, and craftsmen made and sold a variety of iron and bronze products including military weapons, chariot fittings, agricultural tools, textiles, and ceramic ware. As the Chinese colonists settled into their new life in a new land, Lolang became an important trade center, carefully watched over by the district military commander and his troops.

Koguryo came from Puyo, which was a kingdom founded by nomads. When you read the account of the Eastern Barbarians in the San Kuo Chih, Koguryo and the surrounding proto-korean tribes were not very sinofied at all. Significant sinofication probably didn't start until after they conquered Lolang. As a matter of fact, Koguryo, like most other Central Asian societies traced lineage through mothers, not fathers, something the Chinese looked upon very disapprovingly.
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That was a time in history when Koreans and Chinese lived in one place and shared cultures. This culture went on to influence Japan as well. The point is not about who claiming the other. It is more about the people in the past embraced each others culture to form new ones. It is these connections that we should cherish and not use for basis of hate

This post has been edited by feiying: Feb 11 2007, 04:10 AM

[SantaKlaws]

Actually, there is a drama based on this period. That drama is Jumong. Recently, there was a thread on this:

http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=105875

By the way, most Chinese colonists left the Lelang commandery when its power began to wane and Korean kingdoms such as Koguryo and Baekje began to rise and united the Korean natives. Jumong, though exaggerated, reflects this historical background.

This post has been edited by SantaKlaws: Feb 11 2007, 06:45 AM

[feiying]

^One Japanese clan (Hata) may likely have been one of those Chinese forced away from Lelang.

Anyway, I doubt all were able to leave. Only the rich and powerful families. Koguryo was always viewed as more Sinicized compared to their other nomadic neighbors. Their culture seem to be a continuation of the Chinese-Korean blend during Lelang times. And, after 400 years, I feel most of the so called colonists were already Koreanized rather than the other way around. It just like Spaniards claiming all the Moors were expelled. After 700 years, it is hard to believe that they have not already melted in with the locals.

I wished Jumong could have been portrayed more positively, because it really was a period in time with Chinese and Koreans first had positive and meaningful interaction in that past.

[BlueAway]

Feiying, you need to stop with your koreaphile tendencies. Really, its embarassing. I don't think Koreans like being associated with China, historically or in the present. Stop trying to find a common bridge between us because there is none.

[SantaKlaws]

^One Japanese clan (Hata) may likely have been one of those Chinese forced away from Lelang.

Anyway, I doubt all were able to leave. Only the rich and powerful families. Koguryo was always viewed as more Sinicized compared to their other nomadic neighbors. Their culture seem to be a continuation of the Chinese-Korean blend during Lelang times. And, after 400 years, I feel most of the so called colonists were already Koreanized rather than the other way around. It just like Spaniards claiming all the Moors were expelled. After 700 years, it is hard to believe that they have not already melted in with the locals.

I wished Jumong could have been portrayed more positively, because it really was a period in time with Chinese and Koreans first had positive and meaningful interaction in that past.

Chinese colonists WERE the rich and powerful of Lelang. As its power and influence declined, Lelang was mostly deserted and depopulated as Korean natives of the commandery left for Koguryo and Baekje. No doubt Koguryo, as well as Baekje and Shilla, were culturally influenced by Lelang commandery, but it is very unlikely that significant numbers of the Chinese colonists remained to face justice from the oppressed natives, the Koreans. And face it, this is yet another delusional and desperate desire of yours to be associated with Koreans.

And Lelang commandery is a good parellel to Japanese colonial occupation of Korea. It was also a pivotal point of western/Japanese cultural influence, as the Lelang commandery was the pivotal point of Chinese cultural influence. However, no idiots or morons will ask Koreans to make a drama of the times as a "positive and meaningful interaction" between Koreans and Japanese, and that's just how idiotic your proposal is.

This post has been edited by SantaKlaws: Feb 11 2007, 06:09 PM

[Gatts]

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