The Mystery of Ryukyu

Name: The Mystery of Ryukyu
ISBN: 9787301194126

Ji LianhaiPeking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

4.0

Word count: 77K words
Chapters: 47
ISBN: 9787301194126

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Summary

Few people today know that the Ryukyus were once an independent kingdom that enjoyed the glory of being the "Bridge between Ten Thousand Nations." Where exactly are the Ryukyus? What is their relationship to the Diaoyu Islands and Taiwan? Why is the "Bridge between Ten Thousand Nations Bell," inscribed with Chinese characters, housed in a museum in Okinawa, Japan? And what loves and hatreds have China, the United States, and Japan played out on this ancient Ryukyuan land? Tracing the Ryukyus to their source from a historical perspective, this book reveals the legendary history of the ancient Ryukyuan kingdom and tells of the past and present of this remarkable land, with an objective viewpoint and authentic detail.

Editor's review

Taking a history-first approach to the Ryukyu issue, this book restores the often-overlooked ancient Ryukyu Kingdom to the broader context of East Asian maritime history. The author uses concrete details to raise larger questions: Ryukyu was once an independent kingdom that styled itself a "bridge between ten thousand nations," and its story is intertwined with the Diaoyu Islands, Taiwan, and the historical entanglements of China, the United States, and Japan. Following threads such as the kingdom's rise and fall, investiture and trade, and the changes in sovereignty in modern times, readers can understand why this land remains a sensitive issue today. The narrative emphasizes factual grounding and critical inquiry, making it suitable for readers who want to move beyond scattered news reports and gain a systematic understanding of Ryukyu's past and present. It can serve as supplementary reading for introductions to regional and maritime history, and as historical background for those following East Asian international relations. Readers are advised to distinguish between geographical concepts, historical periods, and contemporary disputes, and to avoid reducing complex issues to simple conclusions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in the history of Ryukyu and Okinawa and in East Asian maritime relations
News and international relations enthusiasts seeking historical background on the Ryukyu issue
Readers who want to understand Diaoyu Islands and Taiwan-related issues from a regional history perspective
University students of history and international relations using it as supplementary reading

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a pure travel guide or Okinawan food and accommodation tips
Researchers looking for rigorous academic footnotes and collections of primary archival sources
Readers who only want light stories and prefer to avoid controversial historical topics

Reading tips

First map out the timeline of the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom, then read the modern sovereignty changes to ease comprehension.
Consult maps while reading to see the spatial relationship among the Ryukyu Islands, the Diaoyu Islands, and Taiwan.
Record the book's historical narrative separately from current news to avoid drawing conclusions from a single source.
After finishing, consult public-domain resources on East Asian investiture trade and maritime history to deepen background understanding.

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
第一章神秘的王国
万国津梁
最早的海上马车夫
琉球国名称的由来
美妙的开国传说
神秘族群
琉球王朝兴衰
第二章封贡之路
相声中的真实历史
中国朝贡体系及中琉确立藩属关系
朝贡礼仪
中国册封琉球记
中朝、中琉朝贡关系之比较
第三章家山何处
萨摩入侵
琉球国徽见证中琉人民血脉相通
牡丹社事件及《北京专条》
日本阻贡事件
何如璋琉球三策
日本将琉球改名为冲绳
琉球请援
第四章末代挽歌
中国力邀美国调停
日本借口“照会”拒绝调停
美国力挺中国
日光山之旅
美国转变立场
中日议定《琉球条约拟稿》
清政府拒签，琉球问题搁置
日本殖民统治
第五章权归何处
开罗会议召开
蒋介石一拒琉球
蒋介石二拒琉球
蒋介石后悔
二战后琉球群岛划归美国管理
美国“归还”日本冲绳
琉球法律地位的国际法分析
第六章琉球国的中国元素
社会信仰及习俗
中国特色的王宫
儒家思想的教育浸润
琉球派遣留学生在中国
琉球汉诗
琉球音乐
附录

FAQ

Does this book focus mainly on Ryukyu history or on contemporary international relations?

It is primarily a historical survey, beginning with the independence and the "bridge between ten thousand nations" splendor of the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom, then extending to modern sovereignty changes and the historical entanglements of China, the United States, and Japan over Ryukyuan land. Contemporary issues are one thread of understanding, but the focus is on tracing origins and establishing historical background so readers can approach present-day disputes with context.

Can I read this without prior knowledge of Ryukyu history?

Yes. The book starts with basic geographical concepts and historical periods, making it suitable as an introductory text. Readers are advised to start with the opening sections on Ryukyu's scope and the ancient kingdom's overview before moving to modern times; when many names and places appear, keeping a timeline helps the reading go more smoothly.

Does the book touch on the Diaoyu Islands and Taiwan issues?

The introduction explicitly mentions Ryukyu's relations with the Diaoyu Islands and Taiwan, as well as the historical entanglements of China, the United States, and Japan over Ryukyuan land, so relevant historical background is covered. Readers should understand these within the context of regional history, distinguish historical narrative from contemporary positions, and avoid treating one book as the sole basis for judgment.

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About the author

Ji Lianhai Author · Chinese · 1965

Ji Lianhai was born in Changping, Beijing, in 1965. He graduated from the Department of History at Beijing Normal College (now Capital Normal University) and is a senior teacher at the Second Affiliated High School of Beijing Normal University as well as a special researcher at the China Minsheng Research Institute. Since 2005, he has presented the series "Orthodox Accounts of Qing Officials" on CCTV's Lecture Room, winning audiences with a humorous, lively and passionate storytelling style. His writing focuses mainly on Qing figures and historical events, and he is skilled at restoring personalities and their historical contexts on the basis of source materials. His works available here include The Mystery of Ryukyu, Ji Lianhai on Zuo Zongtang and Ji Lianhai on Wu Sangui, covering historical reading, biography and politics.