초록 열기/닫기 버튼
‘Jade Road’ is a term that was presented as an alternative to 'Silk Road' to overcome its limits. However, this terminology which started to make frequent appearance in the world of Chinese mythology in the recent years is used in the context of Chinese mythology as part of project dedicated to the exploration into the origin of Chinese civilization, rather than in the context of Silk Road studies. In particular, Jade vessels and the tombs of goddesses which were excavated in massive amount in Liaohe area are utilized and interpreted as the materials that could push the origin of Chinese civilization up to eight thousand years ago. Based on this discovery, mythologists such as Ye Shuxian, argue that the Jade Worship and the civilization of goddess had been the two pillars of spiritual genes for Chinese civilization, by reinterpreting Chinese myths within the context of Jade Road. This paper examines how the myth of Xiwangmu, one of the major goddesses in Chinese mythology is dedicated to this project, and presents a critical perspective on its problematic aspects.
