The Survey on and Revitalization and Utilization of Historical Sites along the Ryukyu Mission’s Route to Beijing via the Shandong Section of the Grand Canal

Abstract

Abstract: The interpretation and utilization of cultural heritage have emerged as hot topics in global heritage theory. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese government has placed considerable emphasis on cultural inheritance and innovation. The historical relations between China and the Ryukyu are profound, with hundreds of tribute missions from the Ryukyu to China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Plenty of historical sites and relics of Ryukyu activities remain in China. In this study, historical documentation and field investigation methods were employed to examine the historical sites along the route taken by the Ryukyu missions to Beijing via the Shandong section of the Grand Canal, and strategies were proposed for their revitalization and utilization. It is found that Ryukyu mission’s route to Beijing via the Shandong section of the Grand Canal can be classified into three categories: 1. Locations used for accommodation, rest, resupply, and preparation for the transition between water and land routes; 2. Government institutions that the mission passed through; 3. Historical sites along the route that the Ryukyu mission visited. Despite the varying states of preservation and the depth of historical significance excavation at different sites, the continuity of the route’s heritage sites remains evident. The revitalization and utilization of these route heritage sites should focus on systematic interpretation, innovative presentation, diversified development, and collaborative mechanisms.