Chapter 25 Section 2 The Prosperity of Ocean Shipping

The emergence of my country's ocean shipping industry can be traced back to the distant pre-Qin period.In the Han and Tang dynasties, due to the advancement of navigation technology, ocean shipping had a great development. According to the records of "Hanshu Geographical Records", Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent envoys, trade officials and recruiting merchants to sail from Guangdong to Duyuan (Sumatra) for about five months, and then to Yilu for four months. From Wuguo (near Taigong, Myanmar), it took more than two months to reach Huangzhiguo (near Madras, India), and then went south to Jichengbuguo (Sri Lanka).Finally, we returned from Huang Zhiguo, arrived in Pizong (Malay Peninsula) in about eight months, and returned to China in another eight months.This is a true record of Chinese ships sailing through the South China Sea, crossing the Strait of Malacca, and sailing in the Indian Ocean.At that time, Chengguo was no longer a transportation transfer station, from which China could buy pearls, bi-colored glazes, strange stones, etc., and Chinese silk, etc., were transferred from here to Rome and other places.During the reign of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Daqin (Roman Empire) sent envoys to China by sea, thus opening up the sea passage between China and Daqin.This is the earliest record of direct friendly exchanges between China and European countries.This kind of friendly exchange connected the two great empires in the world at that time, the Han Empire in the east and the Roman Empire in the west, forming a sea route through Europe, Africa and Asia.This is another sea silk road opened up after the famous land silk road.

In the Jin Dynasty, there was an important event of special significance in the history of my country's ocean shipping. This was the return of the famous Eastern Jin monk Fa Xian from the Indian Ocean from 409 to 412 AD.At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Buddhism was introduced to my country from India, and Buddhist scriptures began to be translated.Some foreign monks came to China. For example, the Indian monk Fotucheng came to China in the fourth year of Emperor Yongjia of the Western Jin Dynasty (AD 310). Chinese monks also went to India to seek the Dharma. The most famous one was Faxian in the late Eastern Jin Dynasty.In 399 A.D., Faxian traveled westward with nine companions from Chang'an. After going through hardships and ups and downs, he arrived in India to seek precepts.Some of the fellow monks lost their lives in foreign lands, and some never returned, but Faxian "wanted to make the precepts circulate in the Han land" and promote Buddhism.In the end, he was the only one who sailed back to China by sea alone. At this time, he was already 70 years old.After returning to China, in addition to translating a large number of Buddhist scriptures he brought back, he also wrote the book "Buddhist Kingdom Records" which records the experience of this prayer.It is the first work in my country to describe in detail the politics, economy, religion, history, geography, customs, etc. of ancient Central Asia, India, and Sri Lanka in the South China Sea. The historical materials are extremely valuable and have played an important role in promoting mutual understanding and cultural exchanges between China and India, Nepal and other countries.

The maritime exchanges between the Tang Dynasty and various countries reached a period of comprehensive prosperity.Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, developed into an international metropolis.Envoys, overseas students, monks, and businessmen from overseas countries came to China continuously to learn China's advanced culture, political rules and regulations, and to conduct trade.This is the inevitable result of the prosperity of the country, abundant products, advanced science and technology, and leading culture in the Tang Dynasty.Chinese people are called "Tang people" overseas. "Tang people" also often traveled overseas by sea boat.The Tang Dynasty opened up a number of sea routes, which strengthened economic and cultural exchanges and friendly exchanges with overseas countries.At the same time as the prosperous Tang Dynasty, in the middle of the 8th century, the Arab empire that spanned Europe, Asia, and Africa rose in the West.Chinese history books call it the "big food" empire.The northern part of the eastern border is connected with the border of the Tang Dynasty.The Arabs are good at sailing and have had extensive economic and cultural exchanges with China for a long time.According to incomplete statistics, in the 148 years from the second year of Emperor Gaozong Yonghui (AD 651) when Arab countries first sent people to the Tang Dynasty to the 14th year of Tang Dezong Zhenyuan (AD 798), Arab countries officially sent envoys to China 39 times. More than once every three years on average.Arab businessmen and Islamic clerics also traveled from Haidao to the Tang Dynasty many times to do business and preach.In the mid-Tang Dynasty, the cultural trade along the Maritime Silk Road entered a new peak.The starting point of this sea route is Guangzhou in the south of China. The port is lined with masts and flags, and huge ships come in and out. There are more than 10 ocean-going ships departing from Guangzhou every day.Merchants from all over the world gather here, and the market is bustling.The article "Guangzhou Tonghaiyi Road" written by Tang Dezong Zhenyuan (785-805 AD) prime minister and geographer Jia Dan (730-805 AD) recorded the place where this sea route passed.This route starts from Guangzhou, China, passes through the southeast of Hainan Island, travels along the east coast of the Indochina Peninsula in the South China Sea, crosses the Gulf of Siam, goes south along the Malay Peninsula, and reaches the southeast of Sumatra Island before arriving at Java Island.Then go west to the Strait of Malacca, pass through the Nicobar Islands, cross the Bay of Bengal to the Lion Kingdom (now Sri Lanka), and then go along the west coast of the Indian Peninsula, cross the Arabian Sea, pass the Strait of Hormuz and arrive near Abadan, the head of the Persian Gulf, and then go back. The Euphrates River goes to Basra, and then goes northwest to Baghdad, the capital of the Arab Empire on the banks of the Tigris River.If you continue to travel westward, in addition to land leading to the Mediterranean Sea, you can also exit the Strait of Hormuz from the Persian Gulf, sail west along the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, pass Oman, Yemen to the Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea, and go south to the ports along the coast of East Africa.According to Jia Dan, it took more than 90 days for the route from Guangzhou to Basra.Sailing west from Basra to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in East Africa took 48 days.The ocean-going ships of the Tang Dynasty were able to sail in the waters of the Western Pacific and the North Indian Ocean, which shows the strong ocean-going capabilities of the Tang Dynasty.The people of Tang bought ivory, rhinoceros horn, pearls, gems, coral, glass, frankincense, ambergris and other spices, as well as tortoise shells, which were abundant in the places where the ships were berthed, and exported them to China. , Ironware and other products are also exported to Asian and African countries.Overseas trade in the Tang Dynasty reached an unprecedented level.

Overseas trade flourished in the Song Dynasty, far exceeding that of the previous dynasties.In the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, Xixia rose in Ningxia and controlled the Hexi Corridor.The only way for the Song Dynasty to communicate with Western countries was by sea.The Song Dynasty established trade with Western countries. According to records such as "Ling Wai Dai Answer" and "Zhu Fan Zhi" (written by Zhao Rushi, completed in 1225 AD), there were more than 50 countries and regions.Among them, apart from Koryo and Japan, there are Jiaozhi, Champa, Chenla (Cambodia), Bagan (Myanmar), Boni (Northern Kalimantan), Jawa (Java), and Sanfoqi (the southeast of Sumatra Island), Dashi, Layer Ba (meaning black country, on the east coast of central Africa), etc., far exceeded the scope of activities of the Tang Dynasty.According to "Ling Wai Dai Answer", among the countries that have close contacts with China, the first is the Dashi country, the second is the Japa country, the third is the Three Buddhas Qi country, and then other countries.Most of these countries are along the Asia-Africa route.Ocean-going ships in the Song Dynasty were able to cross the Indian Ocean and communicated with the Western Ocean routes from China to the Red Sea and East Africa, which marked that my country's navigation industry had reached a prosperous period.The invention and application of the compass in the Song Dynasty was an epoch-making event in my country's navigation technology.The compass is one of the four great inventions of our country.The earliest document in the world that records the application of the compass to navigation is "Pingzhou Ketan" written by Zhu Yu (yuyu) during the Xuanhe period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1119-1125 AD).The author follows his father Zhu Fu's experience as a senior official in Guangzhou from 1094 to 1102 AD.It is written in the book: "The boat master knows geography. At night, he can observe the stars, during the day, he can observe the sun, and when it is dark, he can observe the compass." "Knowledge of geography" means that at that time the boat master had mastered the method of determining the position of the ship at sea.In addition to adopting the guiding methods of watching the sun and sailing and stargazing, compass navigation can also be used when the weather is gloomy, that is, the visibility is low.This method is the first instrument navigation method in our country, and it is also a major revolution in navigation technology.The application of the compass and astronomical navigation are used together to promote the development of nautical astronomy.Not long after China used the compass for navigation, it was adopted by Arab sea ships, and this great invention was passed on to Europe by the Arabs.Engels pointed out in "Natural Dialectics": "The magnetic needle was passed from the Arabs to the Europeans around 1180." AD 1180 is the seventh year of Emperor Xiaozong Chunxi in the Southern Song Dynasty of our country.The Chinese first applied the compass to navigation at least 80 years earlier than the Europeans.The compass has been improved, and with the azimuth dial, it is easier to use, this is the compass.Chinese ships began to use the compass for navigation around 1225 AD.In the "Zhu Fan Zhi" written by Zhao Rushi in this year, it is clearly recorded: "Boats and ships communicate with each other, but the compass is the only rule. Watching day and night is only cautious, and the slightest difference is life and death." What is said here is not ordinary. A compass, but a compass now.If there is no pointing scale on the compass, it is impossible to "watch but be careful" and distinguish "the slightest difference".The application of compass needles in navigation shows that my country's navigation technology was in the leading position in the world in the Song Dynasty.Its westward spread created the prerequisites for the discovery of the "New World" by Columbus in 1492 AD.After using the compass, human beings can really get rid of the shackles of the coast, and can gallop on a wider ocean.