THE WUGONGCHUAN (CENTIPEDE SHIPS) AND THE PORTUGUESE
This article examines the historical significance of the *wugongchuan*, or “Centipede Ships,” and their association with early Portuguese maritime activities in Guangdong during the first half of the sixteenth century. Drawing on key Sinological sources, most notably Li Zhaoxiang’s *Longjiang chuanc...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2003
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40005/2703 |
| Summary: | This article examines the historical significance of the *wugongchuan*, or “Centipede Ships,” and their association with early Portuguese maritime activities in Guangdong during the first half of the sixteenth century. Drawing on key Sinological sources, most notably Li Zhaoxiang’s *Longjiang chuanchang zhi* (1553) and Shen Qi’s *Nan chuan ji* (1541), Roderich Ptak analyzes how these vessels were perceived and eventually replicated by the Ming administration. The study details the technical specifications of the *wugongchuan*, highlighting their distinctive oar-driven speed, maneuverability, and the integration of *folangji* (Portuguese) breech-loading bronze cannons—weaponry that Chinese officials recognized as superior to existing domestic technology.
The author investigates the process of technological transfer, specifically focusing on the 1525 imperial mandate to construct a prototype in Nanjing using specialized shipwrights from Guangdong. By comparing textual descriptions and contemporary illustrations, the article illuminates the intersection of naval architecture, military defense, and cross-cultural encounters prior to the formal settlement of Macao. Ptak demonstrates that the *wugongchuan* serves as a critical case study in the Ming dynasty’s pragmatic response to European maritime encroachment, illustrating a period of transition where foreign naval innovations were systematically adopted to bolster Chinese coastal security. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |