Toward Immortality: The Hero Ch'oe Ch'iwŏn and a Sillan Odyssey in a Sinocentric World

Mainland China President Xi Jinping’s quoting of Ch’oe Ch’iwŏn’s [Cui Zhiyuan in Chinese] poems in recent years on diplomatic stages has recovered the traces and memories of Ch’oe among the Chinese populace, placing him within a new context for the long relationship between China and Korea, which invites a new inquiry of Ch’oe’s legacy in both countries. "Toward Immortality: The Hero Ch'oe Ch'iwŏn and a Sillan Odyssey in a Sinocentric World" examines the narratives about Ch’oe Ch’iwŏn in history and literature; discussing how and why such a historical figure evolved into a legendary hero with particular characteristics; and also investigating how tracing different representations of Ch’oe Ch’iwŏn across time and geography enriches our understanding of premodern Korea and the dynamics of the China-centered premodern world.