Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
the eighth century. In China, throughout the long period during which the T'ang
Dynasty gave way to Sung (Northern Sung 960-1127, Southern Sung 1127-
1279 A.D.), and the latter in turn to Yüan (1279-1368 A.D.), there were chartered
ports along the southeastern seacoast which made oversea trade their special busi-
ness, and government offi cials were specially appointed to take charge of trading
affairs. Among these ports, Canton had at fi rst the largest amount of foreign trade. 10
Beginning from the middle of the thirteenth century, however, it was eclipsed by
Chüan-chow (Zayton). In the latter, we possess lively sketches by a couple of con-
temporary witnesses, who arrived in China toward the end of the thirteenth century
and in the middle of the fourteenth century respectively, namely the renowned
Venetian traveller Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta of Tangier, Africa. This is what
Marco Polo wrote:
At this city you must know is the Haven of Zayton, frequented by all the ships of India,
which bring thither spicery and all other kinds of costly wares… I assure you that for one
shipload of pepper that goes to Alexandria and elsewhere, destined for Christendom, there
come a hundred such, aye and more too, to this Haven of Zayton; for it is one of the two
greatest havens in the world for commerce. 11
Ibn Battuta was even more emphatic:
I must tell you that the fi rst Chinese city that I reached after crossing the sea was Zayton
(now is called Chüan-chou-fu)…. The harbour of Zayton is one of the greatest in the world;
I am wrong: it is the greatest! I have seen there about one hundred of fi rst-class junks
together; as for small ones, they were past counting. 12
Ships that voyaged over the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean during the
T'ang and Sung Dynasties included, besides Chinese ships, those of the following
nationalities, all mentioned in Chinese records: Persian ships, Shihtzukuo ships,
ships from the Western Regions, or simply, “foreign” ships. These seagoing vessels
had from a very early time made use of the monsoon in their voyages, which
accounted for the fact that most vessels sailing from China started out between
autumn and winter when the dry monsoon blew from the northeast whereas most
ships coming to China chose the summer season when the wet monsoon blew from
the southwest.
In periods when China's foreign trade was exceedingly active, for instance, in the
Sung Dynasty, the number of foreign traders in China was so large that special resi-
dential quarters were set apart for them in all chartered ports. Some of these traders
elected to stay in China, or even assumed important posts in the Chinese govern-
ment. A case in point is P'u Shou-keng, responsible offi cial for trading affairs in
10 A distinguished Chinese geographer Chia Tan in the eighth century made a valuable record on
the sea-route from Canton to the Gulf of Iran. See Hsin T'ang Shu (New Dynastic History of
T'ang), Chüan 43, Ti Li Chih (Book on Geography).
11 H. Yule and H. Cordier, The Book of Ser Marco Polo: Concerning the Kingdoms and Marvels of
the East , revised 3rd. ed., pp. 234-235, London, 1903.
12 Voyages d'Ibn Batoutah , vol. 4. Paris, 1922, pp. 268-269.
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