Page 38 - Vol_2_Archaeology of Manila Galleon Seaport Trade

4 C. Wu

1.1 History: The Rising and Developing of the Yuegang
Seaport as the Main Terminal Transiting Galleon
Cargo in Mainland Eastern Asia

1.1.1 Yuegang Had Been the Intermediate Segment
in the Successively Developing System of Ancient
Seaports of the Min (!) Area

Historical documents recorded that Fujian (Hokkiens, !!) known as Min (!)
was the most flourishing maritime cultural region in ancient China. The chapter of
South Area of Inland Sea (!"!) in Shanhaijing (Classics of the Mounts and Seas
!!!!") recorded:
Both Ou (") and Min (!) as the branches of aboriginal Yue (!) live in the oceanic region
next to the northwestern mountain. (Yuan ed. 2014, pp. 237)
There had been a series of seaports as Fuzhou (!!, Focheo), Quanzhou (!!,
Zaitun, Cuchincheo), Zhangzhou (!!, Chincheo) and Xiamen ("", Amoy)
successively developing along the coast of Min area from north to south in last
2000 years. Yuegang was one of these seaports developed in the estuary of
Jiulongjiang (!!") river in Zhangzhou after the declination of old Quanzhou
seaport since Ming Dynasty.
Fuzhou, known as Dongye ("#) both in Qin (") and Han (#) dynasties was
the oldest seaport of Fujian, located at the estuary of the largest river of Minjiang
(!"). It was the capital of native Minyue (!!) kingdom, and then Minzhong (!
#) province and Yexian (##) county of Han imperial territory. Dongye was the
busy seaport and important transit center for south and north maritime transporta-
tion from Han to Tang (!) dynasties (Han 1947).
Houhan Shu (History of the Later Han Dynasty !!#$") recorded:

The tributary boats coming from the 7 prefectures of Jiaozhi (Giao Ch!, now Vietnam,%")
State sailed to Dongye ("#) of the Minyue capital from where their tribute articles were
transported to the imperial territory of the Han dynasty. (Fan 1965, pp. 1156)
Quanzhou, known as the Zaitun (!!), rose to be the largest seaport of Fujian
during Song and Yuan dynasties. The Fujian custom Shibosi ("!$, Managing
Of!ce of Shipping Trade) was set at Quanzhou in 2nd year of Yuanyou ($!)
court (1087) and the seaport had developed into the largest one in Yuan empire.
A series of multicultural heritages were investigated during last half century,
including the tombs of the Arabian and Christianity, Islamic temples, Manichean
(!"!) temple and Hinduism temples, reflecting the prosperous development of
the maritime cultural interaction with oversea regions (Chen 1984, pp. 1–63 of
images section; Zhuang 1989, pp. 170–303). The historical documents also
recorded the situation of international maritime trade of Quanzhou seaport during
the medieval period.