Page 108 - Vol_2_Archaeology of Manila Galleon Seaport Trade

76 C. Wu

Tobacco species originated in region of East Ocean, known as Danbagu in Chinese. It
intoxicates the smoker who indulges in it all day. So tobacco is also called grass causing
lovesickness. It is also a good medical preventer of miasma. (Chen and Deng 1968,
pp. 179)
A metal tobacco smoking pipe dating to 17th century was collected in Donggu
(+() shipwreck in Dongshan ("!) County next to Yuegang. This tobacco pipe
might be the earliest smoking set discovered in China after tobacco was imported to
Yuegang (Fig. 4.5).
After tobacco had been brought to Yuegang of Zhangzhou, it spread and was
grown quickly throughout China. Smoking tobacco became a special social-cultural
content in Chinese life. The imperial court of!cially prohibited the cultivating and
smoking of tobacco during late Ming and Qing dynasties but !nally failed. The
Chinese society unavoidably accepted this bitter gift from America by galleon
navigation and had the largest smoking population in the world (Li 1997).

4.2 The Exotic Products from European and New Spain
Promoted the Innovation of the Chinese Traditional
Handcraft Industry

Some inventions in ancient China such as paper making, printing technique,
compass and gunpowder disseminated to all over the old world through silk road
and maritime silk road in last 2000 years. These “Four Great Inventions” had been
the great contributions of Chinese civilization to the united community of human
beings. In last 500 years, after the geographical discovery and maritime global-
ization, a new wave of ideological innovation, industrial inventions and creations
had promoted the social, commercial and scienti!c progress of western world,
resulting the industrial revolution and synchronous change all over the world. The
economical and technical progress of western world extended to eastern Asia
through European global navigation, leaving a series of marks in the history of
maritime cultures.
The historical documents and archaeological discoveries have revealed that
many industrial products and commercial artifacts from America and Europe as
silver coins, silver materials, !rearm and etc. had arrived in Manila and then been
brought into Yuegang and Southeastern coast of China.
J. Xiao (!") said in the Introduction of Dongxiyang Kao (General Survey on
the East and West Oceans, !"!#"" of Ming Dynasty:
)
Haichen County is a oceanic region where farming and trading highly developed. Haichen
people specialize in maritime trade with both oversea countries and civil markets. They live
mostly on the food of marine !sh and daily necessities of exotic artifacts imported by
maritime transportation. (Zhang 1981, pp. 15)