

Yiwen Li, "Networks of Faith and Profit: Monks, Merchants, and Exchanges Between China and Japan, 839-1403 CE" (Cambridge UP, 2023)
Aug 13, 2023
Yiwen Li, associate professor of history at City University of Hong Kong, discusses her book on the religio-commercial network between China and Japan. She explores the transition from tribute missions to collaborations between monks and merchants, the role of Chinese merchants in promoting Zen Buddhism in Japan, the concealed economic activities of Buddhist monks, and the influence of artisans and craftsmen on Sino-Japanese relations.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Introduction
00:00 • 3min
Connections between China and Japan: Research Process and Key Sources
03:29 • 14min
Exploring the Disinterest in Renewing Tribute Missions
17:34 • 4min
Shifts in Attitudes of Japanese Monks and China's Management of Maritime Trade during the Song Dynasty
21:21 • 5min
Chinese Merchants and Zen Buddhism in Japan
26:12 • 23min
Hidden Messages in Buddhist Sources and Disguised Economic Activities
49:41 • 2min
Artisans and Craftsmen in Buddhist Monasteries: Tracing Their Influence Between China and Japan
51:41 • 3min