Zhenghe Treasure voyages AD 1421

[KimWerner]

It's very nice to see these highly unusual, and in the West largely unknown vessels, though, as with most pre-1700 ships, it remains also highly conjectural. However, it a marvelous piece of a drawing!

Fully agreeing

[wzw007323]

宝船


第一手文献资料，来自随郑和下西洋的翻译官马欢所著《瀛涯胜览》的现存内容比较完善的三种定稿本：

明抄本《说集本》：
宝船六十三号，大者长四十四丈四尺，阔一十八丈，中者长三十七丈，阔一十五丈。

《瀛涯胜览》明抄本《淡生堂本》：
宝船六十三号，大者长四十四丈四尺，阔一十八丈，中者长三十七丈，阔一十五丈。

《瀛涯胜览》明抄本《三宝征夷集本》：
宝船六十三只，大者长四十四丈四尺，阔一十八丈，中者长三十七丈，阔一十五丈。

《说集本》，《淡生堂本》和《三宝征夷集本》是内容最完善的版本。

《郑和家谱·下西洋船舶》：
拨舡六十三号，大船长四十四丈，阔一十八丈；中船长三十七丈，阔十五丈。

明顾起元《客座赘语·宝船厂》（1617年）
宝船六十三号，大船长四十四丈四尺阔一十八丈，中船长三十七丈，阔一十五丈。

（清）《明史·郑和传》记载：
造大舶，修四十四丈，广十八丈者六十二。

《明史稿》《郑和传》：
和等造大船，修四十四丈，广十八丈，中容数百人。

根据《中国度量衡制史》记录，明代一尺等于今天31.1厘米，计算下来宝船长139米，宽56米。

郑和宝船(1421)与哥伦布的圣玛丽亚号(1492)比较


更直观的对比：


Can‘t read Chinese friends use Google Translate

[adenandy]

My, she's a BIG Beastie

[heuhen]

Can‘t read Chinese friends use Google Translate

The problem with Google translate is that is not good at translating text's. so it's better that you use Google translator as an help tool when you write in English. The added bonus you get is that you will get better in English over time. (best tool to learn English, is to use English). I'm from Norway, but have used so much English on the Web, that I have started to think in English!

We can't read Chines, we will never both try to learn it, or bother with using translation tools (we are lazy that way). The only language we use her in this forum is the International language, and that is English.


for the drawing:

well:
she is a big compared to the model you posted.
she is a little non-Shipbucket style. (to many shading, etc)
The model ship show that she have many colors, you'r drawing is just brown!

[dryA]

There are arguments against the presence of ships of that size in Zhenghe's fleet. See here:
http://www.travel-silkroad.com/english/ ... hengHe.htm
and here:
http://www.1421exposed.com/html/fathoming.html

[wzw007323]

Can‘t read Chinese friends use Google Translate

The problem with Google translate is that is not good at translating text's. so it's better that you use Google translator as an help tool when you write in English. The added bonus you get is that you will get better in English over time. (best tool to learn English, is to use English). I'm from Norway, but have used so much English on the Web, that I have started to think in English!

We can't read Chines, we will never both try to learn it, or bother with using translation tools (we are lazy that way). The only language we use her in this forum is the International language, and that is English.


for the drawing:

well:
she is a big compared to the model you posted.
she is a little non-Shipbucket style. (to many shading, etc)
The model ship show that she have many colors, you'r drawing is just brown!

OK, then I try to use English and to share, but my English is very poor, small to large English examination did not pass over. . . . . .

I try to translate the following information with a simple translation tool.

“丈”and“尺” in China is an ancient unit of length.

1“丈”=10“尺”

In the Ming Dynasty,1“尺”=31.1cm

Historical records, the size of Zheng He Treasure Ship long 44“丈”,wide 18“丈”,Calculations, the length is about 139 meters Treasure Ship.

However, since the Ming Dynasty treasure ship design files and were burned, and today we have been unable to learn the exact data treasure ship.

So now, for the treasure ship data, there is considerable controversy academia.

All my information comes from the records of the following three books:《说集本》，《淡生堂本》and《三宝征夷集本》.

These three books should be the most current information on the original Treasure Ship it!

About Color：

Currently all the paintings and models from all the modern imagination and artistic process,So I did not add any color to treasure ship, retains most of the original wood color.

My English grammar is very poor, I hope you can understand my speech.

Thank you for advice

[apdsmith]

Many thanks, wzw, that's much better than the mess Google Translate made of the text.

[TimothyC]

My English grammar is very poor, I hope you can understand my speech.

Thank you for advice

First, Welcome aboard Shipbucket.

Second, wzw007323, your English is fine, and those of us that don't know Chinese appreciate your efforts to communicate in a language that we can understand.

Third, nice drawings, thank you for sharing.

[Rodondo]

Whilst I'm dubious of their immense size, unless they constantly needed repair and never actually went on the big seagoing voyages (As the bulk of these vessels would have produce a huge amount of drag against a rather small sail area), its a nice drawing though (being unfamiliar with Junk rigging), would it be possible to show the sails hard to port?

[wzw007323]

Whilst I'm dubious of their immense size, unless they constantly needed repair and never actually went on the big seagoing voyages (As the bulk of these vessels would have produce a huge amount of drag against a rather small sail area), its a nice drawing though (being unfamiliar with Junk rigging), would it be possible to show the sails hard to port?

Due to limited English proficiency, I just read your message half. . . . .However, you probably meant to say I understand.

First, the Chinese boat used is "hard sail", "hard sail" is mainly used plant leaves woven, hard and heavy, but by high winds efficiency; may rotate around the mast, to windward. Because there supporting bone, so for quality, "sail" requirement is very low, even breaking a lot of holes does not matter.

Although more time-consuming sail up, but when the wind suddenly encounter, because the relationship between weight and drop cable solution sail quickly to ensure the safety of the vessel.



Squall, you can freely change the sail area, about to sail mast rose to the middle, to ensure the safety of navigation. Woven with plant leaves hard sail, the wind to good effect, to take full advantage of crosswinds. Blown sideways by the wind to sail hard, according to aerodynamic principles, not only to obtain a larger lift and resistance, the ability to give full play to the hard wind sails.

But "hard sail" is a big drawback quality, so China is very small sail boat, which also limits the Chinese boat's speed.Meanwhile, the need to operate more sailors sailing.

Sailing Europe using the "soft sail", since the quality of light can theoretically speaking sail area made ​​large mast can be higher.

However, a large number of European soft-rigged sails and shrouds limit the angle of rotation rigged because inefficient and limited role, but greatly increased the workload parade sails, plus it gets people to climb the mast to parade sails, but then many sailors killed, while China "hard sail" through the pulley to rise from the sails, without climbing the mast, security and more, despite the need for more sailors.

Besides sailing under the Chinese species.

Chinese sailing into four categories:福船（Fu ship)、沙船（Sha ship)、广船（Guang ship）and鸟船（Birds shio）.

Treasure Ship is a 福船（Fu ship),福船（Fu ship) sailing mean production in Fujian Province,This ship originated in Fujian Province, China.





“Fuchuan” very suitable for sailing in the ocean, so most of the fleet of boats are all “Fuchuan”.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, Bingbushangshu (Ming Dynasty official, the equivalent of today's defense minister) Liu daxia, the design blueprint for the integration of the ocean's official files and burn all the treasure ship, resulting records are now few and far between on the Treasure Ship .

But now historian for the study is biased treasure ship, they study ancient Chinese shipbuilding technology, it tends to apply today while European shipbuilding technology and shipbuilding technology as a reference, the conclusion is such a huge majority Treasure Ship does not exist.

However, the ancient Chinese shipbuilding technology and shipbuilding technology is completely different from the West, Western shipbuilding technology with a simple explanation of the ancient Chinese shipbuilding technology will not work, but because of the lack of relevant historical records, now sailing for the study of 15th century China needs further archaeological discovery.

In China, a lot of controversy for the treasure ship history buffs come to their own conclusions, a large treasure ships exist (after all, is the pride of ancient China), but only as a royal fortress mobile use of the emperor ceremony and parade use, usually in the surrounding coastal sailing, not far from the sea.

Zheng He Treasure Ship using a large ocean-going sailing a 2000“料”（Chinese ancient timber units calculated）, more suitable for ocean voyages.

15th century is the most powerful Chinese ancient times, but also the pinnacle of ancient Chinese shipbuilding technology, Zheng He sailed the ocean is the most direct manifestation, but because of the Ming maritime industry policy Boycott strictly prohibited. Let China has just boarded the pinnacle of world maritime industry soon pounding down. Opium for the future foreshadowed.

The above text is through continuous use of a dictionary and translation software written, certainly there are a lot of grammar mistakes, I hope you Nengkanmingbai, thank you!