The period between 839 and 1403 CE saw a six-century break in diplomatic relations between China and Japan, known as the tribute system. It was an age when the world assumed that these two mighty nations had little contact. Nonetheless, Professor LI Yiwen, Associate Professor of CityU's Department of Chinese and History, challenges the long-held assumption and puts forward that there was actually a thriving trade network between China and Japan during this period.

In Prof Li’s latest book, she uncovers a vibrant trade network and connectivity fuelled by Buddhist monks and daring merchants across maritime East Asia. Through an analysis of diverse sources, including poems, letters, images, objects, and archaeological discoveries, she reveals the existence of a Buddhist trade network that operated independently from the tribute system. The ground-breaking book sheds new light on the relationship between Buddhism and commerce, offering fresh insights into this mesmerising aspect of China-Japan relations in the historical context.

Networks of Faith and Profit: Monks, Merchants, and Exchanges between China and Japan, 839-1403 CE

By Li Yiwen
Associate Professor
Department of Chinese and History
City University of Hong Kong

ISBN: 9781009303132 (Online)
Published by Cambridge University Press