Maritime Trade

Let me ask you a question: Seventy years after Columbus “discovered” the New World, could ordinary Ming citizens legally sail overseas for business? The answer is no. Not only no — doing it without permission could get your head cut off. But there was one exception. Just one. In 1573, the Ming Empire quietly opened a door in Haicheng County, Zhangzhou. It wasn’t a big door. But where it led was Luzon, Manila, Mexico — the entire world. ...

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. ...