An unequalled bestseller series reaching sales of over 400,000 volumes, My Exploration of Cultural Heritage (published by Changbi) sets foot on China at last. It embarks on a lighthearted exploration in search of the immense cultural heritage of China, created by the combination of a vast land and diverse people. The initial destinations are Dunhuang and the Hexi Corridor, which the author has long cherished as dreams of his explorations and which readers can now savor in the recently published two volumes. Just as Haenam and Gangjin in South Korea and Kyushu in Japan were unanticipated destinations of his explorations, the author once again arouses readers’ interest with unexpected choices. The Dunhuang-Hexi Corridor route, where he meets treasure-like Buddhist relics and historic places hidden among deserts and oases, lives up to its name indeed. The history of the Silk Road, which not only was the cradle of ancient Chinese civilization but also served for a long time as a crossroad of civilizations, with various ethnic groups struggling against one another, vividly comes alive in the volumes of the My Exploration of Cultural Heritage series on China.
Though Professor Yu Hong-june, the author, has already presented readers with the charms of his own brand of explorations abroad in volumes on Japan (4 vols.; published by Changbi), they are especially pronounced in these volumes on China. Beloved of readers for his outstanding discernment, entertaining style, and passion for explorations, his travelogues now recount even more intriguing and rich tales as they encounter the unparalleled cultural heritage of China.
With a total area 40 times that of the Korean Peninsula and 100 times that of South Korea alone and a total population 20 times that of the two Koreas combined, China, first of all, overwhelms us with its scale. Its culture is also a great mirror for Korea’s own cultural heritage as a result of close mutual influence throughout history.
Because of the sheer number of attractions, the author’s itineraries, too, are special. Of course, there is a route for examining the essence of Chinese culture, with a focus on the eight ancient capitals of China. Also under preparation are explorations for visiting major sites in the histories of art, philosophy, and literature. Not to be missed are sites of Korean-Chinese cultural exchange such as the ancient kingdoms of Goguryeo (37 BC-668 AD) and Balhae (698-926 AD), Korean envoys’ route to Beijing during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (1919-48), the pro-independence provisional government established outside Korea during the Japanese colonial era (1910-45). Dunhuang and the Silk Road are the starting points of this long march.