羅末麗初 승려들의 入唐求法과 한중교류

Abstract

During late Silla to Early Goryeo Dynasty, seeking truth in Tang China was conducted mainly by Zen priests. The priests traveled back and forth between Korea and Chinausing the Southern sea route which connected the southwestern coast of the Korean peninsula with the region in China south of the Yangtze River, and they formed close ties with the sea merchants making use of the tributes’ vessels or commercial ships. The monks usually went to China between October and February using the northwesterly wind and returned to Korea between March and August using the southwesterly wind. Thus, the Zen priests during late Silla to early Goryeo Dynasty visited China and came back to Korea using the Southern sea route which connected the southwestern coast of the Korean peninsula with the region in China south of the Yangtze River and taking advantage of the seasonal wind so as to seek truth mainly in the region in China south of the Yangtze River. To take a look at it through the commercial vessels that they used for their travel to and from China and the relationship with the sea merchants, in the region in China south of the Yangtze River including Mingzhou, Quanzhouand Guangzho, commercial vessels frequently traveled back and forth between Korea and China in addition to the travel of envoys or Zen priests to make the region prosper as the center for the exchanges between Korea and China. The sea merchants contributed to the marine trade in the then East Asia by forming equal bonds with Japanese truth-seeking priests visiting Japan in addition to China.