What are the main commodities exported from the Maritime Silk Road?

Exports: Goods from China mainly consisted of silk, tea, porcelain, gold, silver, hardware, books, and so on.

Import: Goods from the West included: glaze, cat's eye, beads, ivory, spices, precious stones, crystals, onyx, amber, camel skin, frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, incense, sandalwood, aloe vera, pepper, and wenazi.

There were many objects of trade:

1, Korea, Japan, Ryukyu;

2, countries located on the present-day Central and South China Peninsula;

3, coastal islands of Southeast Asia;

4, South Asia;

5, the Islamic world;

6, and all parts of Europe, because this maritime silk road mostly went to Arabia only, and therefore other items to continental Europe generally by transshipment via the Arabs.

The Maritime Silk Road, also known as the Road of Ceramics, the Road of Fragrance and Medicine, is an extension of the land-based Silk Road, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization identified as the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road is located in the city of Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. The main reason for its formation was that the southeastern coast of China had many mountains and few plains, and it was not easy for people to travel internally, so many people have been actively developing towards the sea since ancient times.

In order to solve the inconvenience of the land route, which, due to the terrain, passed through many areas unsuitable for human habitation, and the monsoon winds on the east coast of China in summer and winter, it also increased the convenience of the sea route to the European continent.

The Maritime Silk Road trade flourished especially during the Song Dynasty, when the Silk Road was cut off by nomadic herders in northern China. This exchange had been occurring in ancient China, especially for the inhabitants of the southeastern coast of China.

Expanded Information:

Navigational Technology

One: Shipbuilding

The main features of the Song Dynasty ships were their construction, which was characterized by the use of a variety of techniques. The main features of the Song Dynasty boats are: the hull is enlarged. Song Dynasty mission to the Korean Goryeo Dynasty "Shenzhou", loaded with more than 1,500 stone, large sea-going ship, loaded with 10,000 stone, carrying hundreds of crew members, can be loaded with a year's worth of rations.

The ship also had a market (store), but also can raise pigs, brewing, weaving. The rudder of the ship is as long as three battles to five zhang, the hull structure is reasonable: the use of iron nails shipbuilding, the hull of the two sides of the lower cut, there is a keel through the head and tail, the bottom of the ship into a V-shaped, to facilitate the ship's breaking the waves traveling. Inside the boat to take the sealed compartment, strengthen the safety of the boat.

The progress of boating tools: the use of multiple masts and sails, easy to use multiple wind direction. The big boat attached to a small boat, for transportation, life-saving, rescue use. The ship has two anchors of different sizes, with water exploration equipment. Ships began to use the compass, sailing also has a navigation tool for all-weather, compared with the previous by virtue of the sun, moon and stars to navigate, which is a great progress.

Song dynasty shipbuilding and ship repair, has begun to use the dock, but also created the slipway release ship launching method. China's shipbuilding and sailing technology during this period was among the world's leaders.

Second, the needle road

According to Chinese classical literature, in the Song Dynasty Yuanfu years (1098-1100 years), Chinese sea ships have been using Luo needle navigation; to the middle of the Southern Song Dynasty, the sea ships are generally using Luo needle navigation; at that time, in charge of the direction of the ship's navigation of the ship's masters were equipped with a secret seaway needle scripture, a detailed list of the needle from Guangzhou or Quanzhou to and from all parts of the Western Ocean.

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