李忔의 燕行과 燕行錄 朝天日記의 觀光學的 考察

A Tourism Study on Yi Heul's Diplomatic Trip to Yanjing and His Travel Journal Jocheon Ilgi

Yi Heul, a civil minister under King Myeongjong of the Joseon Dynasty, was sent to Yanjing as an Envoy of Gratitude. He took a sea route and crossed the Western Sea and Balhae not only on his way to China but also on his return to Joseon. He traveled about 6,950 li (2,780 km) for one year, three months and seventeen days. It is difficult to find out in detail how Yi managed to eat and sleep, for one can rarely find the records about it in Jocheon Ilgi, his travel journal. Instead, he showed great interest in the cultural things of the areas he was going through and documented them. Compared with Park Jiwon's visit to China, Yi Heul traveled shorter distance for a longer time. Park followed a land route both when he went to China and when he returned to Joseon. He traveled 8,000 li (3,200 km) in total for five months and three days. The distance Park traveled is longer for he made a round trip to Yeolha, which was about 570 li apart from Yanjing. Yi Heul's visit to China and his Jocheon Ilgi are very meaningful in tourism studies. As Yi, different from other contemporary envoys, took a seaway, we can see what sea routes between Joseon and Ming or Ching were like. Moreover, we can learn not only about the accommodations of Ming or Ching, but also about the psychology of tourists of those times.