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...
Saved in:
| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2003
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40005/2703 |
| _version_ | 1877196271435907072 |
|---|---|
| author | Roderich Ptak |
| author_autocomplete | Roderich Ptak |
| author_browse | Roderich Ptak |
| author_facet | Roderich Ptak Roderich Ptak |
| author_sort | Roderich Ptak |
| container_title | Review of Culture |
| container_title_str | Review of Culture |
| container_volume | 5 |
| container_volume_str | 5 |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:51Z |
| format | Articles |
| genre | Articles |
| genre_facet | Articles |
| hierarchy_browse | Review of Culture{{{_ID_}}}zotero-coll-76L3BRGH |
| hierarchy_parent_id | zotero-coll-76L3BRGH |
| hierarchy_parent_title | Review of Culture |
| hierarchy_sequence | 0000 |
| hierarchy_top_id | zotero-coll-WX87PJHD |
| hierarchy_top_title | News |
| hierarchytype | Default |
| id | zotero-N5KSDSJH |
| institution | zotero_group |
| issn | 1682-1106 |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:51Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-11T02:56:51Z |
| publishDate | January 2003 |
| publishDateRange | 2003 |
| publishDateSort | 2003 |
| publishPlace | Macau |
| publisher | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| publisherStr | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| record_format | zotero |
| spelling | 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 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. Instituto Cultural de Macau Macau Review of Culture Articles January 2003 Roderich Ptak |
| spellingShingle | THE WUGONGCHUAN (CENTIPEDE SHIPS) AND THE PORTUGUESE Roderich Ptak |
| title | THE WUGONGCHUAN (CENTIPEDE SHIPS) AND THE PORTUGUESE |
| title_autocomplete | THE WUGONGCHUAN (CENTIPEDE SHIPS) AND THE PORTUGUESE |
| title_full | THE WUGONGCHUAN (CENTIPEDE SHIPS) AND THE PORTUGUESE |
| title_fullStr | THE WUGONGCHUAN (CENTIPEDE SHIPS) AND THE PORTUGUESE |
| title_full_unstemmed | THE WUGONGCHUAN (CENTIPEDE SHIPS) AND THE PORTUGUESE |
| title_short | THE WUGONGCHUAN (CENTIPEDE SHIPS) AND THE PORTUGUESE |
| title_sort | the wugongchuan (centipede ships) and the portuguese |
| url | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40005/2703 |
| zotero_collection_key | 76L3BRGH |