論圓仁筆下的中唐基層行政組織

The Local Administrative Organization of Ennin's Diary in Middle Tang Dynasty

The Japanese monk Ennin 圓仁 traveled to Tang China for 8 years from 839. During this period he wrote diary almost everyday when he traveled to Jingnan, Shandong, Hebei, and Guanzhong. Ennin's Diary (The Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law) helps us understand better the Tang society in middle 9th century. Based on the Diary, this article discusses the xunjian 巡檢 policing system, the way in which the Fanzhen controlled local society. Because Ennin could not make a trip to Mount Tiantai天臺山 on his way back to Japan, he and the other three companies decided to smuggle into the Shandong peninsula in 840. They were investigated by the xunjian police when they arrived at the first village. They were subsequently deported by the xunjian police.
Xunjian was of the military system at first. From the Diary, we can observe that xunjian was localized as an administrative system in the Shandong peninsula. Fanzhen used the xunjian system together with the xiangli and fangcun organizations to infiltrate deeply and to control local society. The xunjian system became official for local security and military purpose in Song Dynasty.