Chinese Fuchuan / Seagoing Ships

Timeline

1. 200–600Jiaozhi and the Lingnan coast · South ChinaDocuments and archaeology indicate that by the Eastern Han through the Six Dynasties period, larger seagoing ships and the beginnings of watertight bulkhead technology had appeared along the Chinese coast, supporting maritime contact with Jiaozhi, Linyi, and the states of the South China Sea.
2. 700–1100Guangzhou and Mingzhou · southeast coastDuring the Tang and Song periods, ship sizes and construction techniques improved markedly; advances in rigging and navigation promoted merchant voyages toward Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, and the fuchuan form gradually matured in southeastern shipbuilding.
3. 1201–1368Quanzhou port · QuanzhouUnder the Song and Yuan maritime trade superintendency system, seagoing ships from ports such as Quanzhou and Guangzhou carried porcelain, silk, and spice trade, forming a multilateral Indian Ocean–South China Sea shipping network alongside Arab dhows and Southeast Asian sailing vessels.
4. 1405Longjiang in Nanjing and the Fujian coast · ChinaThe early Ming treasure ships represented the pinnacle of seagoing ship technology; after the maritime ban, official ocean voyaging declined, while civilian fuchuan remained active in coastal fishing transport and South Seas trade, continuing in modern times as sailing and motor-sailing vessels and influencing modern shipbuilding traditions.