Koryo Ginseng as Seen in the Literary Sources of the Nguyen Dynasty

This study examines in detail Koryo ginseng 高麗人参 as seen in the early modern Vietnamese work of history i Nam Thc Lc 『大南寔録』and other works. Although Vietnam had no direct relations with Korea, Korea was known to produce Koryo ginseng. While Koryo ginseng was brought to Vietnam via foreign relations with China and through Chinese merchants, it seems that it was not traded as a commodity in the ordinary markets of Vietnam. Koryo ginseng was prized in Vietnam as a food and a medicine, and was controlled through a workshop directly managed by the court. As this ginseng was frequently granted by the emperor to sick retainers, it was utilized in relations between rulers and ministers. Considering this aspect, it is clear that knowledge of Korea through the medium of Koryo ginseng was confined principally to the emperor and the ruling classes and had not spread to ordinary people.1KJ00004281017論文Articledepartmental bulletin pape