Hainan

Hainan is the Chu-ai and Tan-ir of the Han period.

When the Emperor Wu-ti (BC 140-86) 86) had made the conquest of Southern Yue, he sent a mission from Suwon across the sea to reconnoitre Hainan.

As a consequence, the 2 perfectures of Chu-ai and Tan-ir were established.

His successor Chau-ti (86-73 BC) dropped Tan-ir and incorporated it in Chu-ai.

It was only again occupied in 589—618.

In 627, Hainan was divided into 3 departments:

• Ai
• Tan
• Chon

They were attached to the province of Ling-nan.

In 631, Kiung shan in Ai was made a prefecture. Wananhien was raised to departmental rank, identical with the military districts of today.

In 789, Kiung was made the seat of a military prefecture which still remains.

Kiung-chou is 360 li from Ti-kio-chang in Su-won of the main coast. The passage to it can be made in fair wind in half a day.

The mid-channel is called San-ho-liu. When this has been passed, the sailors congratulate themeslves for their good luck.

Ki-yang is at the extreme southern end of the coast of Hai-nan.

Outside has 2 islets:

• Wu-li
• Su-ki-lang

South Vietnam is south of it. West of it is Chonla India. East of it are the Thousand li banks and the Myriad li rocks

Beyond them is the boundless ocean where the sea and the sky blend their colours.

The passing ships sail only be means of the south-pointiug needle, if it is watched closely by day and night. The slightest fraction of error leads to death.

Hainan island is divided into 4 prefectures and eleven departments in all. It is attached to the western circuit of Kuang-nan. They lie around the Li-mu mountain where the wild Li have their huts.

The Li are divided into:

• Savage
• Semi-civilized

They have much fallow land. But they are unable to grow enough rice for their people. To compensate by making soup of tubers, taro, and different kinds of grain.

This is why they trade with their sweet-scented woods.

Their products are:

• gharu-wood
• p’ong-lai gharu-wood
• cho-ku-pan-hiang gharu-wood
• tsien-hiang gharu-wood
• shong-hiang gharu-Wood
• cloves
• betel-nuts
• coconuts
• cotton
• hemp
• paper-mulberry bark
• red and white rattan
• flowered silk sarongs
• embroidered curtains
• rose-wood
• hai-mei-chi
• green cassia-wood
• khiung chi-tsai
• hai-tsi
• long pepper
• yellow wax
• fossil crabs
• galangal root
• fish glue

Most of these come from the mountain villages of the Li, which they exchange with the Chinese for:

• salt
• iron
• fish
• rice

The Chinese sell them to traders on the coast.

The junks from Canton go there with:

• samshu
• rice
• flour
• silks
• lacquer
• chinaware

They sail from Canton at the end or the first month of the year in order to return in June to August. . But if they want cargoes of fresh betel-nuts, they must sail earlier in order to return in April-May.

Kiung-chou

Kiung-chou is northeast of the Limu mountain.

The prefectural capital is the same as Ai-chou of antiquity. During 1111-1118, it was the headquarters of a military brigade, with the Tsing-hai regiment as garrison.

It is rainy in autumn, dry in spring, not too hot in the summer, not too cold in winter.

Typhoons are frequent from June to August.

According to the ‘Records of the Sui dynasty, the people of K’iung-chou were of a frivolous but cruel nature.

They did their hair up in a mallet-shaped knot, and wore clothes made of grasses

They kept records through notches in pieces of wood. They were laborious cultivators but of uncouth manners.

Father and son followed different vocations.

Important persons cast bronze into big drums and hung them up in their houses. When one of them beat his drum to call his people. He was tu-lau if they hastened to gather around him in great numbers.

The people wore silk clothes and made clay pots and household vessels of calabashes.

They had no yeast, so they fermented their wine with pomegranate flowers.

At the present time, their upper garments do not differ from those of the Chinese. The men wear a cotton sarong. The women wear a plaited skirt and make their living by spinning cotton.

They still use earthenware pots and occasionally calabashes to ladle water. For brewing wine, they use tubers and grain for fermenting.

Although there are no wealthy people among them, nevertheless, as they are a thrifty people. There are no poor and one sees no beggars in bad years.

When Ting, Duke of Tsin, was degraded to the rank of Prefectural Finance Commissioner, he taught the people of Kiung-chou to read books and to write. From 1041-1049) Earl Sung Kuan-chi built the prefectural college, which was renovated in 1210 by Earl Chau Ju-hia. On which occasion, tablets to the manes of Dukes Su Tung-po and Hu Tan-an were erected on the east and west of the Lecture hall. On the tablet of the hall was written ming-tau or the Enlighteners of the Way.

In Hai-kon, there is a Temple of the 2 Fu-po of the Han dynasty where the manes of Lu Po-to and are worshipped.

Those who pass by on the sea must pray here. No one may pursue his journey before learning his luck from the pei-kiau tablets.

Five towns, Kiung-shan , Ch’ong-mai, Lin-kau, are subordinate to this and Lo-hui, W5n-ch’ang district (of K’iung-chou), and in each of them there is a Mwwaritime Customs

The junks which trade there are divided into 3 classes:

1. po
2. pau-tou
3. tan

When a junk arrives, a Customs Inspector reports the fact to the District Magistrate who sends an officer to gauge the tonnage and determine the regulation duty. Officials of all ranks, as well as the soldiers, depend on this duty for their maintenance.

After a journey of 236 li farther West, the military district of Ch’ang-hua is reached.