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Quanzhou Maritime Trade at Its Peak in the 1180s

Type Event Region Asia Time 1181–1190

In the 1180s, overseas trade at Quanzhou (Zayton port) under the Southern Song reached its peak, making it one of the largest ports linking China wit…

Timeline

  1. 1181–1185Quanzhou · FujianDuring the Chunxi era, the Quanzhou Maritime Trade Office oversaw a continuously expanding trade in foreign ships, levying maritime trade taxes on imported spices, ivory, and pearls, and exporting porcelain, silk, and tea; port commercial taxes became an important source of revenue for the Southern Song.
  2. 1183–1190Quanzhou Foreign Quarter · FujianArab, Persian, Indian, and other foreign merchants lived and traded in Quanzhou's foreign quarter, and Islam, Hinduism, and other religions entered China along trade routes. This multicultural coexistence made Quanzhou one of the most cosmopolitan Chinese port cities of its time.
  3. 1185–1190South China Sea route · South China SeaQuanzhou merchant ships reached Champa, Java, Srivijaya, and the west coast of India via the South China Sea route, forming a trade network spanning East Asia to the Indian Ocean. The name Zayton port spread far overseas, and Marco Polo later called Quanzhou the greatest port in the world.

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