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Portuguese Trade Contact with China

Type Event Region Asia Time 1521–1522

In 1521 Ming forces defeated the Portuguese at Tuen Mun, and in 1522 again at Xicaowan, marking the earliest armed clashes between the Portuguese and…

Timeline

  1. 1517–1521Guangzhou · GuangdongPortuguese merchant fleets anchored at the Pearl River estuary, attempting to establish formal trade relations with the Ming dynasty and build fortresses, but the Ming court remained wary of the newly arrived foreigners and trade permits were long delayed.
  2. 1521–1522Tuen Mun · South ChinaIn 1521 Wang Hong (then Guangdong surveillance commissioner) led naval forces to defeat and expel the Portuguese at Tuen Mun, burning their ships; in 1522 Ming forces again defeated the Portuguese fleet at Xicaowan, capturing their men and ships and seizing firearms. The two battles marked the Ming dynasty's forceful rejection of Portuguese trade overtures.

Sources