Why did the Governor of Okinawa visit China to pay homage to Tongzhou? There is a section of the Ryukyu Pain History Site | Cemetery | Ryukyu Behind

The Ryukyu National Cemetery Site located in Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou District, Beijing has recently received a special guest. According to reports, Okinawa Governor Yucheng Danny came here specifically to pay his respects during his visit to China.

This is a remote site, and even the locals don't know much about it. Why did this guest from afar come here specifically to worship? What kind of history is hidden behind this?

The pointer of time, set back over 600 years ago.

The Ming and Qing dynasties were the last peak period in the history of ancient East Asian tribute relations. Large scale overseas envoys came to Beijing one after another to pay tribute. The Ryukyu Kingdom is one of them.

At that time, the main communication between China and Ryukyu was between tribute and enfeoffment. This relationship began in the fifth year of the Hongwu era and lasted for 500 years until July 1875 when Japan strictly ordered Ryukyu to completely sever its tribute and enfeoffment relationship with the Qing Dynasty.

Over the course of five centuries of history, envoys with titles from the Ming and Qing dynasties, descendants of the 36 surnames of Min people, and tribute envoys and international students from Ryukyu have traveled between the two countries, constantly exchanging ideas. The continuous spread of Chinese culture to Ryukyu has had a significant impact on the formation of Ryukyu ethnic culture and social development.

And Tongzhou has a unique location. The envoys from various countries such as Ryukyu, Annam, and Japan from the south must pass through this area when entering the capital, and all tribute goods must be unloaded in Zhangjiawan and transported by land to the capital; After completing the mission, the envoy left the capital and continued to travel by land via Luhe Post to Zhangjiawan, where they boarded a ship and sailed down to Henan.

In the 40th year of the Jiajing reign, Ming Dynasty official Guo Rulin also boarded a ship from Zhangjiawan Port and sailed through Henan. According to historical records, "The king Shangqing passed away and sent envoys to mourn." Emperor Ming Shizong, at his request, ordered envoys to confer the title of Ryukyu.

Guo Rulin, as the envoy, led a massive delegation of 500 people to Ryukyu. Before embarking on the boat, he wrote "On behalf of the envoy to the Luhe River in Ryukyu to untie the cable":

The wind is still and the waves are tranquil. At dawn, the boat is released, and the weeping willows on the embankment are nestled in the sound of doves.

Clear clouds gradually separate from Chang'an, and colorful Yi Yi greets the flow of heaven and Han.

Amidst the distant trees blooming on the shore, wise envoys light gulls.

The traces of life are hard to imagine, smiling as they float thousands of miles in the vast expanse of the world.

After nearly a year of long and arduous sea navigation, the following summer, Guo Rulin and his delegation arrived in the Ryukyu Kingdom. On the 19th day of the second lunar month, it was the royal ceremony of enfeoffment.

After completing their mission, Guo Rulin and his delegation returned to court in the third year to report their mission. After returning to China, he wrote "Record of the Restoration of Ryukyu", which systematically introduced various aspects of Ryukyu society and described Ryukyu's religious beliefs, laws, customs, products, architecture, and other aspects.

Even more precious is that this book has become an important historical basis for later generations to prove the ownership of the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands. The book records:

"On the first day of the fifth lunar month, I passed by Fishing Island. On the third day of the fifth lunar month, I arrived at Chiyu Island. Chiyu Island is located on the border of the mountains in Ryukyu. In the next day, when the wind blows, I can see Gumi Mountain... At noon on the sixth day of the fifth lunar month, I can see Tuna Ji Mountain. Tuna Ji Mountain is the case mountain of Ryukyu."

The term "case mountain" in the text means "boundary mountain". Tunaji Mountain, also known as Ryukyu's "Funami Island". This passage clearly proves that as early as the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, China had taken the Chiwei Island, which was closest to Ryukyu in the Diaoyu Islands archipelago, as a symbol of the boundary with Ryukyu, and "Du Ming Xi Island", like Kumi Island, was considered one of the islands on the Ryukyu border.

In different documents written during the same period, Guo Rulin also pointed out that "the land involved in the Ryukyu Territory is called Chiyu", and "Chiyu is a local mountain in the Ryukyu Territory", proving that Chiwei Island is a Chinese island that separates from Ryukyu, not an island of Ryukyu.

Guo Rulin went on an envoy to Ryukyu, and at that time, it was more common for Ryukyu people to come to Daming.

They are officials, international students, merchants of the Ryukyu Kingdom... For various reasons, some of them have stayed in China forever. The Ryukyu people's cemeteries formed on Chinese soil mainly include four major areas: "Cangshan Baiquan Temple in Fuzhou", "Zhangjiawan in Tongzhou, Beijing", "On the official road from Fuzhou to Beijing", and "Southeast Coastal Area of China".

The burials on the Ryukyu National Cemetery in Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou are mainly envoys and international students. According to expert research, there are at least more than ten tomb owners, including Yang Liangui, Liang Yunzhi, Cai Hongxun, Cheng Yunsheng, Xia Ruilong, Zheng Guoguan, Jin Xing, Zheng Xiaosi, Wang Daye, Lin Shigong, and unknown officials. The most well-known among them is Lin Shigong.

Lin Shigong was born in Kumi Village, Ryukyu Province and is a descendant of Lin Xi, a Fujian immigrant during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. He has been learning Chinese and Chinese since childhood, and has won the top spot in the official college entrance examination. In the eighth year of the Tongzhi reign, Lin Shigong and his companions arrived in the capital and enrolled in the Imperial Academy. His academic performance is quite outstanding, and Chinese poetry is also published under the names of "Ryukyu Poetry Class" and "Ryukyu Poetry Record". In the summer of the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign, Lin Shigong graduated and returned home after completing his studies.

At this time, Ryukyu Kingdom was being coveted by Japan. Since 1872, Japan has blatantly changed the Ryukyu Kingdom to the Ryukyu Domain, beginning the process of annexing Ryukyu.

In 1875, Japan forced Ryukyu to sever its suzerainty relationship with China. The Ryukyu Kingdom argued with reason, but after the negotiations broke down, King Shang Tai sent people directly to Tokyo to petition, and on the other hand, he sent Purple Turban Officials to secretly send envoys to Dehong to China, with Lin Shigong accompanying him. On April 12, 1877, Xiang and Lin arrived in Fuzhou and presented the secret letter of the King of Ryukyu to the Governor General of Fujian and Zhejiang, He Jing. After He Jing submitted it, the Qing court finally found out the truth of the matter. However, at this time, the Qing government was too preoccupied and could only refute Japan with two words: reason and reason. In April of the fifth year of the Guangxu reign, Japan abducted the King of Ryukyu along with civil and military officials to Tokyo and forcibly occupied the territory of Ryukyu.

Upon learning of the bad news, on October 19th of the same year, Lin Shigong and his delegation submitted a petition to the Qing court, pleading with them to negotiate with Japan and restore the Ryukyu Kingdom. The weak Qing court only entrusted this matter to Li Hongzhang for negotiation with Japan. Japan proposed the "Island Separation and Treaty Amendment", which would transfer the Senjima Islands in the southern part of Ryukyu to China. In exchange, China would amend the "Sino Japanese Treaty of Settlement" and grant Japan one-sided most favored nation treatment. The Qing government intended to accept and attempted to restore Ryukyu Kingdom in the Xiandao Islands. Lin Shigong and others firmly opposed the division of Ryukyu and submitted a petition to the Qing court on September 28, the sixth year of the Guangxu reign, stating that the Xiandao Islands were barren and could not establish a country, and advocating for the restoration of the entire Ryukyu territory.

The petition did not change the decision of the Qing government, so Lin Shigong decided to sacrifice his life for the country. On November 20th of the same year, he personally submitted a petition to the Prime Minister's Office. Book cloud:

"Our country suffered greatly from the Japanese people's uprisings, with one clan society becoming a ruin, and two kings and crown sons seeing their eastward movements, and then the people being subjected to their tyranny... Only by pleading with the king and his lords to obey, and according to the situation, summoning the Japanese envoys stationed in Beijing, instructing them with righteousness, and using their voice and spirit to properly prepare and repay our king, restoring our country's capital, and upholding the integrity of all officials, can we die without regret for our achievements!"

On the morning of that day, Lin Shigong committed suicide and died for his country, leaving behind two deadly poems:

"In ancient times, there were only a few people who were loyal and filial, and they had been worried about their country and family for five years. Even after death, they still hoped to preserve the country, and the high court relied solely on their younger brothers' wisdom."

"For twenty years, I have been in a province for half a year and have violated my kinship. I admit that I am a sinner in heaven and earth. Old tears and memories of my child's white hair, and hearing bad news, it is even more distressing."

The death of Lin Shigong touched the rulers of the Qing Dynasty to some extent. Empress Dowager Cixi sighed, "This loyal minister is truly pitiable." She was given two hundred taels of silver and buried in the Ryukyu National Cemetery in Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou.

The Ryukyu National Cemetery in Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou no longer exists. But this period of history has always been remembered in the hearts of those who care about the history of Ryukyu. Many descendants of Ryukyu people have visited Zhangjiawan to search for relics. On July 4th, the visiting governor of Okinawa, Tani Yucheng, presented sacrificial offerings to his ancestors, clasping his hands together and murmuring softly. He said that he followed the Ryukyu customs during his worship, and the incense he used was also passed down from China, which is different from the incense used in Japan. The Tongzhou District Museum presented the rubbings of the Ryukyu King Daye tombstone to Danny Yucheng, which is one of the remaining relics of the former Zhangjiawan Ryukyu Chinese cemetery.

The Tongzhou Museum presented the rubbings of the Ryukyu King Daye tombstone to Danny Yucheng, and the Tongzhou Museum provided pictures.

Historians point out that the historical context of the existence of the Ryukyu Kingdom as a sovereign state and its illegal annexation by Japan is very clear.

Before 1879, Ryukyu was an independent kingdom that established a close suzerainty relationship with China since the early Ming Dynasty. The succession of the new king of the Ryukyu Kingdom is subject to the enfeoffment of the Chinese emperor. The official chronicle of Ryukyu uses the reign title of the Chinese emperor, and official records use Chinese language, which is sufficient evidence.

In 1872, Japan, with a long-standing desire, took advantage of China's weakness and inability to take care of Ryukyu and forcibly declared the conversion of Ryukyu Kingdom to Ryukyu Domain. Subsequently, the King of Ryukyu was abducted by force to Tokyo, announcing the abolition of the Ryukyu Kingdom and its establishment as Okinawa Prefecture. His actions were completely illegal. Faced with coercion, the King of Ryukyu did not sign the extermination documents and repeatedly sought assistance from the Qing government. Although the Qing government was too preoccupied to provide assistance, it never acknowledged Japan's annexation of Ryukyu.

In the following century, due to changes in the international situation, the issue of Ryukyu's ownership and status became more complex.

In November 1943, at the Cairo Conference during World War II, US President Roosevelt proposed to entrust Ryukyu to China after the war, but no resolution was formed on this matter. In 1945, the Potsdam Proclamation clearly stated that Ryukyu was not included in Japanese territory. The post-war United States led Treaty of San Francisco also pointed out that Ryukyu was governed by the United States. In 1972, due to changes in the international situation and considerations of the Cold War camp, the United States handed over the administrative management of Ryukyu to Japan, but it did not involve sovereignty. Afterwards, Japan reset Ryukyu to Okinawa Prefecture.

Based on this, historians point out that Japan's annexation of Ryukyu in 1879 was illegal. After World War II, the Potsdam Proclamation clarified that Ryukyu was not Japanese territory, and after 1972, Japan changed Ryukyu to Okinawa Prefecture, which did not solve the issue of Ryukyu's sovereignty under international law.

History cannot be erased and should not be forgotten. More importantly, it is important to remember the lessons and inspirations it provides.

If you fall behind, you will be beaten and there is a risk of being expelled from the team. The Chinese nation has also had a humiliating history of being invaded and bullied by imperialist powers since modern times, and this is deeply ingrained and empathetic.

No matter what others do, the first thing is to unite and do one's own thing well. Only by strengthening oneself can we speak of upholding justice and helping others.

The world today has greatly changed compared to the era of Guo Rulin and Lin Shigong. But there are still some people who, either with a stubborn mentality of power or out of dark interests, have been distorting history, blurring cognition, and fabricating public opinion in order to achieve their hidden goals. We must be vigilant about this!

Author: Yang Jiayi