고려전기 개경시장과 사시(徙市) 기우제-『고려도경(高麗圖經)』 속 허시(虛市)의 실체-

Abstract

The market for licensed shops in Gaegyeong (present-day Gaeseong) was established in the reign of King Taejo (918-943). Its size was greatly enlarged as siga 市街 (lit. market streets) were constructed in it and galleries were built alongside the siga. The siga were broad and spread from sipjaga 十字街 (lit. cross street) in the south to Gwanghwa Gate in the north. The galleries were filled with stores. The siga along with the galleries were the most important part of the market for licensed shops and the most prosperous commercial area of Gaegyeong. Xu Jing 徐兢 (1091- 1153), a Song official who came with the Xuanhe Embassy to Goryeo in 1123, stayed in Gaegyeong for a month. He had a chance to see the siga but could not observe commercial activity taking place there because of the rainmaking practice, in which the ruler moved the marketplace to a narrow space in order to make it crowded like clouds. Goryeo suffered drought in that year. During his sojourn in Gaegyeong, the rainmaking practice was conducted and accordingly the shops in the market were closed. Once the practice started to be held, the court opened another market, called hangsi 巷市 (lit. lane market), in a certain narrow road of Gaegyeong. Xu Jing was able to hear a story about the hangsi, and the story reminded him of the xushi 虛市 (lit. empty market) in his country. Since he did not know the name hangsi, he instead called it xushi when he recorded his travelogue, the Illustrated Account of the Xuanhe Embassy to Goryeo.