Have you ever wondered how ancient diplomacy looked? 😊 At Lyushun Museum in Dalian city, in the northeast of Liaoning Province on the Chinese mainland, a brand-new exhibition has just opened its doors, shining a bright spotlight on the centuries-old bond between the Ming Dynasty and the Ryukyu Kingdom.
The star of the show? A stunning replica of a 1629 imperial edict issued by Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty to the king of Ryukyu. Measuring 172 cm long and 55 cm wide, the yellow scroll is decked out with golden cloud-dragon patterns and 44 lines of neat regular script. It's like a royal tweet from four centuries ago! 🐉📜
Wu Yuhong, a professor at the Ryukyu Research Center of Dalian Maritime University, explains that this edict isn't just eye candy. "It’s a tangible relic of the fact that the Ming emperor formally bestowed titles on Ryukyu's monarchs," she told CGTN. It even lists imperial gifts and orders envoys to carry out the investiture ceremony — a real peek behind the curtain of ancient statecraft.
The tribute relationship didn’t stop with the Ming. During the Qing Dynasty, Ryukyu's envoys traveled to Beijing in the 11th year of Emperor Shunzhi's reign (1654) to return some old edicts, an imperial decree and a gilded silver seal. In exchange, they picked up fresh investiture documents, bringing the Chongzhen-era edict back home to the archives.
For history buffs, students and curious travelers, this exhibition offers a vivid reminder of how diplomacy, culture and art intertwined in East Asia. Whether you're planning your next adventure or diving into your research papers, don’t miss this chance to touch a piece of living history in Dalian! 🌏✈️
The exhibition is open now through early 2026. Check out Lyushun Museum to see the legacy of dragons and diplomacy up close!
Reference(s):
Exhibition sheds light on historical ties between China and Ryukyu
cgtn.com
