Maritime Silk Road

The Homeland of Kraak Ware: Production and Global Circulation of Geographic Connections Zhangzhou (Fujian), Longxi, Haicheng (Yuegang/Moon Port), Pinghe, Nansheng, Wuzhai, Hua’an, Zhangpu, Manila, Batavia (Jakarta), Amsterdam. I. The Opening of Yuegang: The Starting Point of Zhangzhou’s Globalization A historic turning point in the Ming Dynasty’s “Sea Ban” policy occurred in the first year of Longqing (1567). With the establishment of Haicheng County and the formal opening of Yuegang (Moon Port), Zhangzhou became the epicenter of China’s Age of Discovery. By the first year of Wanli (1573), with the legalization of foreign trade at Yuegang, Zhangzhou Kiln ceramics began to replace Jingdezhen wares, which were limited by inland logistics, becoming the new darling of the global market. ...

Do you know where Marco Polo’s “Greatest Port in the World” really was? Not Venice. Not Alexandria. It was Quanzhou. Europeans called it “Zayton.” In 1087 AD, the Northern Song court established the Maritime Trade Bureau (Shibosi) in Quanzhou. Before that, the city’s overseas trade was managed remotely from Guangzhou. One imperial decree, and Quanzhou became China’s first special economic zone. I’m Chuke. Today, I want to flip through the Quanzhou Prefecture Chronicles and the Quanzhou Customs Records, and see how this city managed global trade across two dynasties. ...

Background: The Rise of the Greatest Port in the East In the history of global navigation, medieval Quanzhou, known to the world as ‘Zayton,’ held a status of unparalleled importance. According to the Bamin Tongzhi, Quanzhou was a ‘strategic and secluded treasury of Min-Yue,’ serving as a major hub since the Tang Dynasty. Its geography, described as ‘rivers pressing against the vast sea and mountains connecting to distant peaks,’ provided ideal deep-water conditions. During the Five Dynasties period, Governor Liu Congxiao expanded the city walls and planted Erythrina trees (Citong) around the perimeter, giving birth to the iconic name ‘Citong City.’ By the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Quanzhou had reached its zenith, rivaling Alexandria in Egypt. ...