Sailing into a New Golden Age 
cctv.com 04-20-2005 14:13
For a long time, Korea and Japan have ranked the two largest shipbuilders in the world. Trailing on the heels of these is China. According to the latest statistics from the Lloyd's Register-Fairplay company, Korea, at present, has approximately 53 million tons of shipbuilding orders to fill; Japan, 42 million tons; and China just 13 million.
For 9 years, China has been the third biggest shipbuilding country in the world, trailing Korea and Japan. The shipbuilding industry in China has a big impact on trade volume and employment. In a deeper sense, this is an industry that has great bearing on the future increased development of China. In setting goals for the coming 10 years, China will attempt to become the biggest shipbuilding country in the world.
In ancient times, the banks of the Jinjiang River, located in the south of the city of Quanzhou, were once major docks for the harbor of Zaitun. An Italian Merchant Diano Eck, who arrived in Quanzhou in 1271 kept a traveling journal called 鈥渢he City of Light鈥滱nd In this journal, he wrote that there were over 15,000 boats, including seagoing craft, three-masted ships, and merchant freighters in Zaitun Harbor. He also noted that the total number of ships in Zaitun Harbor outnumbered those in Venice. This observation was also corroborated in the famous account, 鈥淭ravels of Marco Polo鈥
In ancient times, prosperity, derived from overseas trade in Quanzhou, was largely related to the state of advanced techniques in shipbuilding there.
In 1974, Chinese archeologists excavated an ancient seagoing boat in Quanzhou Bay.
So far, this ship has proven to be the largest boat of its kind ever discovered. It has the longest history of archeological shipbuilding data. Other relevant information shows that this craft is an early Chinese wooden sailing ship designed for commercial use. It was built in Quanzhou city, in approximately 1270.
This ancient wooden sailing ship is 34 meters long, 11 meters wide, with a tonnage of 400 DWT. The well-designed outline with perfectly constructed interior implied that it was the most advanced sea going craft of its day. Europe was not introduced to the advanced shipbuilding techniques of China until the late 18th century, putting it some 500 years behind China鈥檚 advanced maritime technologies.
In order to prevent leakage, the gaps between the wooden planking of the ship were filled with a special material blended with wood oil and oakum. This method is still used today in wooden shipbuilding.
This is DaZuo Harbor in Hui ,a County of Quanzhou city. People here have inherited the techniques of shipbuilding from their ancestors. Some local taboos keep women off the boats. But the work of shipbuilding allows them to keep busy sawing wood and carry. Their efforts pay off when new boats are launched.
This model wooden sailing ship, originally built in the Song Dynasty, is up to the most modern standards of ship design in terms of construction, trim and sea worthiness.
Chinaware and inscriptions displayed here in Quanzhou Maritime Museum (Museum of History of Ocean Transportation in Quanzhou)serve as the testimony to history; and the ruins dating back to the Tang and Song dynasties will tell you that Quanzhou once was indeed 鈥渢he Largest Oriental Harbor鈥 whose reputation paralleled that of the Alexander Harbor in Egypt.
600 years ago, as China鈥檚 shipbuilding industry reached its zenith, 鈥淭he Middle Kingdom鈥 built a fleet of more than than 260 ships, crewed by more than 20,000 sailors. Under the leadership of Admiral Zheng He, the fleet made 7 successful voyages over 30 years, and navigated to various regions including South and Southeast Asia, Arabia, and most lands in Northeast Africa. They traveled over 130,000 sea miles and reached more than 30 countries. Wherever they went, they carried messages telling of the glories of China.
It was not until 87 years later that the Portuguese, with their superior navy and advanced navigational technology succeeded in sailing to Chinese harbors.
