Chinese treasure ship
A Chinese treasure ship (simplified Chinese: 宝船; traditional Chinese: 寶船; pinyin: bǎochuán, literally "gem ship") is a type of large wooden ship in the fleet of admiral Zheng He, who led seven voyages during the early 15th-century Ming dynasty. The size of the largest Chinese treasure ships has been a subject of controversy, with some Chinese records mentioning the size of 44 zhang or 44.4 zhang, which has been interpreted by some as over 100 m (330 ft) in length, while others have stated that Zheng He's largest ship was 70 m (230 ft) or less.
Sketch of four-masted Zheng He's ship | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Ming dynasty | |
| Name | 2,000 liao da bo (lit. large ship), hai po, hai chuan (lit. sea going ship) |
| Ordered | 1403 |
| Builder | Longjiang shipyards, Ming dynasty |
| In service | 1405 |
| Out of service | 1433 |
| Notes | Participated in:
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Armed merchant ship |
| Displacement | 800 tons |
| Tons burthen | 500 tons |
| Length | 166 ft (50.60 m) |
| Beam | 24.3 ft (7.41 m) |
| Draught | 8.1 ft (2.47 m) |
| Propulsion | 4 masts |
| Sail plan | Junk rig |
| Complement | 200–300 person |
| Armament | 24 cannons |
| Notes | References: Tonnages, dimensions |
Early 17th century Chinese woodblock print, thought to represent Zheng He's ships. The ships are depicted with 7 masts, but only 4 sails used. | |
| History | |
| Ming dynasty | |
| Name | 5,000 liao ju bo (lit. giant ship), baochuan (lit. gem ship) |
| Ordered | Before 1412 |
| Builder | Longjiang shipyards, Ming dynasty |
| In service | 1412 |
| Out of service | 1433 |
| Notes | Participated in:
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Armed merchant ship |
| Displacement | 3100 tons |
| Tons burthen | 1860 tons |
| Length | 71.1 m (233.3 ft) |
| Beam | 14.05 m (46.1 ft) |
| Draught | 6.1 m (20.0 ft) |
| Propulsion | 6–7 masts |
| Sail plan | Junk rig |
| Complement | 500–600 person |
| Armament | 24 cannons |
| Notes | References: Voyages, tonnages, dimensions |
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