Comparison of Chinese Consciousness as Expressed by ＂Official Vietnamese Historians＂ and ＂Vietnamese Envoys＂

Title

Comparison of Chinese Consciousness as Expressed by ＂Official Vietnamese Historians＂ and ＂Vietnamese Envoys＂

Author

Kun-chiang CHANG

Page

167-191

DOI

10.6163/tjeas.2015.12(1)167

Abstract

This study intends to examine the consciousness of ＂China＂ as it is expressed by both ＂official court historians＂ in Vietnam and Vietnamese ＂envoys＂ sent to China. It was discovered in my research that while writing their histories for the court, Vietnamese historians particularly and intentionally emphasized political and cultural subjectivity in the principles ＂each empire has its own empire＂ and ＂each empire has its own Chinese culture＂. They have their own idea of ＂Chinese Order＂ was heavily stressed. In contrast, Vietnamese envoys in China often had to fight for the national identity of Vietnam ＂as part of China, not a barbaric country＂ and purposely expressed their opinion that they possessed ＂an awareness of themselves as Chinese.＂ These Vietnamese envoys even competed with Chosen envoys over which of the two were more Chineselike. Thus, it is clear that there are differences between the ＂internal＂ and ＂external＂ expressions of Chinese cultural consciousness in Vietnam during that time.

Keyword

Vietnam, Envoy, Historian, China, Chinese

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