Chinese people are not unfamiliar with the capital city of Korea or Seoul. Chinese envoys have begun their visits to this beautiful city surrounded by rivers and mountains since the capital was settled in Soul in Joseon Dynasty. After opening the port, with the enhancement of Sino-Korean relationship, more and more Chinese came to this city. Among these people, there were many great names in the history of modern China such as Wu Chang qing, Yuan Shi Kai, Zhang Jian and Zeng Ji Ze who however were sent to Seoul with missions as signed by government and common people had few opportunities to travel there but to get to know this city from text records.
During the reign of Japan’s colonization, though Sino-Korean relationship was at themercy of Japan at first, then on governmental communication increased:more and more Chinese with various purposes came to Seoul, especially some Chineses cholars travelled in Seoul for study or research, and for travelling and sightseeing. What they had seen and had heard has been recorded in words which are a great treasure for us to know Seoul under the colonized rule.
In modern Chinese people’s eyes, the colonized Korean capital city was no longer the “Seoul” that they had been familiar to, but the one full of modern flavor. There were bustling commercial streets and well-developed transportation system and perfect municipal man agement all of which presented a modern city before Chinese travelers. The appearance of Seoul had great changes while the owner of the city was also changed. Korean people who had been living there for many generations were replaced by extraneous Japanese, reducing victims being conquered. They have nothing to do with the prosperity or the progress of the capital city. They had to live in the places full of dirty streets, a totally different world.
The 500-year inheritance of Joseon Dynasty, the majestic palaces and the beautiful gardens in Seoul all reveal the time-honored and splendid Korean culture whoses plendor however was enshrouded by the shadow of colonia lrule.
As a traveler staying in Seoul for a short time, some Chinese were amazed at the great changes of the capital city and admired Japanese colonists’ “governance achievement” while most of the Chinese travelers from these changes saw the destroy of colonial rule to Korean people, Korean culture and Korean spirit which made them realize that the only thing brought into by the imposed “progress” and “development” is harm and destroy.