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Zheng He Nautical Charts

Type Object Region China Time c. 1405–1600

Sea-route compass guides and nautical charts used by Zheng He's fleet during the Yongle era, marking routes and ports from Liujiagang to the Indian O…

Timeline

  1. c. 1405–1407Liujiagang · JiangsuIn the early Yongle reign, the court organized treasure-ship voyages; accompanying personnel compiled sea-route compass guides from actual measurements, marking routes from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean by bearing, watch-hours, and stellar altitudes.
  2. 1421–1430Indian Ocean routes · Arabian SeaMultiple voyages in the later Yongle era continued to use and supplement the charts; compass routes covered Malacca, Ceylon, Calicut, and as far as Mogadishu in East Africa, forming the technical basis of Ming oceanic trade and the tributary network.
  3. 1600–1700Southeastern coast of China · ChinaMost original Ming charts have been lost; later transcribed copies such as the Mao Kun chart recorded in the Wubei Zhi preserved the core compass routes and port information of the Yongle sea guides, becoming the main basis for studying the early history of Chinese nautical charts.

Sources