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Fuchuan Seagoing Junk

Type Object Region China Time c. 1127–1279

Fuchuan were large seagoing ships built along the Fujian coast, characterized by deep draft, multiple decks, watertight bulkheads, and batten sails, …

Timeline

  1. c. 1100–1150Fuzhou · FujianFujian coastal shipbuilding was long developed; Fuchuan used sharp or flat bottoms, watertight bulkheads, and multiple masts with fore-and-aft sails, with sturdy hulls and good seaworthiness; from the late Northern Song to early Southern Song, shipyards along the Min and Jin rivers provided hull types for ocean trade.
  2. c. 1171–1180Quanzhou Port · FujianFrom Xiaozong to Guangzong, Quanzhou's trade flourished; Fuchuan could carry hundreds of people and large cargoes of porcelain, silk, and spices on long voyages, while the Maritime Trade Office collected taxes and issued sailing permits, making ship design and capacity important tools of state finance and diplomacy.
  3. c. 1175–1250South China Sea route · Southeast AsiaSouthern Song ships sailed routes from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean; later shipwreck archaeology such as the 'Nanhai No. 1' reveals Song ship bulkhead structures and loading methods, and Fuchuan design influenced Yuan and Ming ship development as a representative type of ancient Chinese ocean-going vessels.

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