During theTang Dynasty(618-907), the whole society took on a prosperous scene, with a well-developed economy and a highly civilized culture after the "Gold Years of Zhenguan." Based on a strong national power and advanced shipbuilding technologies, especially the introduction of watertight cabins, China developed maritime navigations with countries in West Asia and coastal countries in Africa. Also, by this time, Arab and African countries could already be directly reached through straight-line navigation instead of the original section (or localized) navigation.
As a result of the wide use of marine compasses, and the application of seafaring knowledge, such as celestial navigation technology and monsoon predictions, plus the development in shipbuilding, especially the employment of watertight cabins, navigators of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) could carry out sea voyages all year round. The Song navigators blazed a trail in starting fromGuangzhouof South China's Guangdong Province andQuanzhouof East China'sFujian Province, then crossing the northern Indian Ocean, and finally reaching Western Asia and Eastern Africa, with the route being of particular importance.
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| A seaboat of the Southern Song Dynasty, which was excavated in Quanzhou has 13 watertight cabins. |
A conspicuous characteristic of China's navigation in theYuan Dynasty(1271-1368) was the important position of grain transport, which was meant to solve the grain shortage in the capital -- Dadu (Beijing) -- and the surrounding areas.
In terms of oceangoing voyages, the Yuan Dynasty surpassed both the Tang and Song dynasties, whether in the scale of the shipbuilding and navigation technologies. The large oceangoing vessels of that time could hold over 1,000 people, and was equipped with dozens of sails. Also at that time, Arabic astronomical navigation techniques were introduced to China, greatly promoting the development of China's navigation technology.
Due to the then positive policy on maritime trade and the great breakthrough in navigation technologies, China took the lead to enter the period of "quantitative navigation." Chinese sailboats reached almost all the seacoasts of the western Pacific and northern Indian oceans, establishing trade relations with 120 countries and regions.
The development of oceangoing navigation in the Yuan Dynasty resulted in a boom of domestic ports, especially the Quanzhou Port, which experienced its most glorious time in history. It was not only the most important port for foreign trade and the first port in the East, but also was the most wellknown port at that time in the world.
Wang Dayuan, a great folk navigator of the Yuan Dynasty, twice sailed from Quanzhou between 1333-1390 for oceangoing voyages, reaching as far as the Arabian Peninsula and coastal areas in East Africa. Upon returning, he compiled Dayi Zhilue for his voyages, covering 96 countries and regions.
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