Page 46 - Vol_2_Archaeology of Manila Galleon Seaport Trade

12 C. Wu

After the imperial court of Qing Dynasty permitted Spanish galleons to anchor
and trade at Amoy (Xiamen) wharf in the 5th year of Yongzheng ("") period
(1727), the Fujian custom Shibosi soon moved from Yuegang to Amoy in the
second year (1728), opening the new era of Yuegang-Manila navigation.
Xiamen Zhi (Chronicle of Xiamen Prefecture, !""$") of Qing Dynasty
recorded:
The junks from Amoy started to sail and trade with foreigners since the 5th year of
Yongzheng (1727) and the maritime trade of Amoy flourished in the early period of
Qianlong emperor. During this period junks from different provinces of China arrived and
paid tax at Amoy. Spanish galleons were also permitted to land and trade at Amoy. Amoy
developed to be the !rst important seaport of Fujian trading with eight foreign companies,
more than 30 internal trade companies, and more than one thousand junks. (Zhou 1967,
pp. 125, 146)
.

1.2 Archaeology: Cultural Heritages of Harbors,
Shipwrecks and Kilns of Exported Ceramic Around
Yuegang Region as the Result of Flourishing
Navigation to Manila

The preliminary archaeological investigation at Yuegang and the adjacent coastal
regions in southeast Fujian and Guangdong revealed a series of cultural heritages as
exotic landscape at harbor regions, shipwrecks sites underwater, exported ceramic
kiln sites which had been the result of Yuegang-Manila navigation trade and its
connection with the Spanish galleon Paci!c transportation (Fig. 1.5).

1.2.1 A Preliminary Investigation of the Cultural
Heritages of Yuegang

The central wharf of Yuegang is located at the south coast of estuary of Jiulongjiang
river, including a few small islands and tributary streams between Haicheng (!%)
and Fugong ('&). The situation of the stream flowing around the islands and the
curving coast was regarded as the crescent shape and taken as the crescent harbor
(Yuegang).
Haicheng Xianzhi (Chronicle of Haicheng County, !!%#$") of Qianlong
()!) reign of Qing Dynasty recorded in the !rst Volume of Geography and
Location:
Haicheng downtown lies 25 kilometers to the southeast of Zhangzhou, known as the
crescent harbor. Haicheng had been a big settlement at beach in Tang and Song dynasties
and local rich people used to illegally build junks and had smuggling trade with oversea
merchants for their commercial pro!ts.In order to control the maritime transportation and