Maritime History

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 Chinese junk in the fleet of admiral Zheng He, who led seven voyages during the early 15th-century Ming dynasty. The treasure ships' cargo comprised valuable goods, including fine textiles, porcelain, and tea, to be traded abroad. The size of the treasure ships, the largest ships in Zheng He's fleet, has been a subject of much controversy, with some old Chinese records mentioning the size of 44 zhang or 44.4 zhang, which has been interpreted by some modern scholars as over 100 m (330 ft) in length. Meanwhile, others have stated that Zheng He's largest ship type was around 70 m (230 ft) in length.

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See also

• ▸HMS Stirling Castle (1679)
• ▸Ginislao Paris
• ▸Great Lakes Waterway

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