Seventeenth-Century Chinese Sailing Ships

Timeline

1. 1620–1650Coastal shipbuilding areas of Fujian and Guangdong · GuangdongBy the late Ming, China had developed three regional ship types: the Minnan fuchuan (sharp bottom, multiple decks, suited to ocean voyages), the Guangdong guangchuan (broad and flat, suited to shallow-water combat), and the Jiangnan shachuan (flat bottom, suited to rivers and coastal waters). Zheng Chenggong's main fleet largely used the fuchuan type, noted for its high sides, multiple masts, and sturdy bulkheads, able to carry large quantities of cargo or heavy cannon.
2. 1651–1660Taiwan Strait and southeastern coast · Taiwan StraitBetween 1651 and 1660, Zheng Chenggong's Ming Zheng navy had hundreds of sailing ships of various types, including large warships armed with European-style cannon and nimble small fast craft (ganzeng ships). The warships used hard sails and could maneuver with oars in calm conditions; a combined tactic of gunpowder cannon and incendiary projectiles (fire ships) repeatedly achieved success against the European-style gunships of the Dutch and Qing navies. During this period Chinese sailing ships also carried out extensive East Asian trade, sailing between Nagasaki in Japan, Manila in Luzon, and ports throughout Southeast Asia.
3. 1650–1700East Asian waters (China to Southeast Asia routes) · South China SeaThe core technical features of seventeenth-century Chinese sailing ships included: hard bamboo-framed sails (each sail's angle could be adjusted independently, giving strong upwind capability), watertight bulkhead construction (excellent resistance to sinking), and a balanced rudder (agile handling). Large ocean-going sailing ships could exceed thirty meters in length and carry hundreds of tons of cargo, making monsoon-driven seasonal voyages in the East and South China Seas, serving as the material carrier of the East Asian age of sail trade.