Yeolha Ilgi
Encyclopedia
Yeolha Ilgi, or Jehol Diary, is the work of the Joseon silhak
scholar Pak Jiwon 朴趾源 (1737–1805). Pak, also known by his pen name of Yeon'am 燕巖, made an extensive tour of what was then northern Qing territory (to include Shenyang
, Beijing
and Rehe Province) in 1780 in the company of his cousin. Pak's cousin had been dispatched to the Qing court by the Joseon king Jeongjo
to attend the 70th birthday celebrations of the Qing emperor Qianlong
. As the title suggests, the Yeolha Ilgi (the result of the trip) takes the form of a travelogue. However, the scope of the diary is vast, covering such disparate topics as history, customs, nature, politics, economics, and poetry. Both the scope of the work and the quality of its writing have earned it a place as a masterpiece and an important source for Chinese and Korean historians.
A partial English translation was published in 2010 under the title Jehol Diary".
Silhak
Silhak was a Korean Confucian social reform movement in late Joseon Dynasty. Sil means "actual" or "practical," and hak means "studies" or "learning." It developed in response to the increasingly metaphysical nature of Neo-Confucianism that seemed disconnected from the rapid agricultural,...
scholar Pak Jiwon 朴趾源 (1737–1805). Pak, also known by his pen name of Yeon'am 燕巖, made an extensive tour of what was then northern Qing territory (to include Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Rehe Province) in 1780 in the company of his cousin. Pak's cousin had been dispatched to the Qing court by the Joseon king Jeongjo
Jeongjo of Joseon
King Jeongjo was the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He made various attempts to reform and improve the nation of Joseon. He was preceded by his grandfather King Yeongjo and succeeded by his son King Sunjo...
to attend the 70th birthday celebrations of the Qing emperor Qianlong
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
. As the title suggests, the Yeolha Ilgi (the result of the trip) takes the form of a travelogue. However, the scope of the diary is vast, covering such disparate topics as history, customs, nature, politics, economics, and poetry. Both the scope of the work and the quality of its writing have earned it a place as a masterpiece and an important source for Chinese and Korean historians.
A partial English translation was published in 2010 under the title Jehol Diary".