Revisiting The Maritime Silk Road In Penglai

By Huang Jiangqin

No.3 Penglai ancient ship on display. (MARITIME SILK ROAD MUSEUM)

Penglai,Yantai City,is located at the northern tip of the Shandong Peninsula,330 kilometers north of Langya Port in Qingdao.In 133 BC,Emperor Wudi (156-87 BC) of the Han Dynasty visited the region during an inspection tour of the eastern part of his empire.He gazed out into the sea in the direction of the mythical Mount Penglai,home of immortals.A city later emerged there and was named after the mountain.In 707,during the Tang Dynasty,Dengzhou prefecture was founded to administer the Jiaodong Peninsula.Consequently,Penglai Port had also been called Dengzhou Port since the Tang Dynasty.

At the confluence of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea and adjacent to the Korean Peninsula and Japan,Penglai was one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road in ancient times.Now a district of Yantai City,it is also a popular travel destination and receives millions of tourists every summer.Anyone with affection for history should make sure to visit the Maritime Silk Road Museum in the Penglai Pavilion Scenic Area.It offers an extensive review of the navigation technologies of ancient China and the evolution of the Maritime Silk Road in the East.

Secrets in Sunken Ships

The first displays at the entrance of the museum are four ships.“This is the No.1 ship discovered in 1984 during dredging of Xiaohai Bay,” said curator Xiu Linlin.“It is a warship from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and the longest of all ancient ships discovered in China so far.”

In April 1984,local authorities launched an extensive dredging project in the waters around Penglai Port.In the process,archaeologists detected a 28.6-meter-long and 5.6-meter-wide wooden ship,which was named No.1 Penglai Ancient Ship.In its cabins,they found a huge volume of relics including iron swords,cannon balls,firearms,stemmed cups,and navigation tools.A search of the sludge under the ship led to more findings such as bronze mirrors,pottery,incense holders bearing the character Shi(meaning history,also a family name),and blue porcelain bowls and cups made in Longquan,Zhejiang Province.

Dredging of Xiaohai Bay in 2005 exposed three more shipwrecks: a warship from the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644) and two Korean boats.Named No.2,3,and 4 Penglai Ancient Ships respectively,they carried a wealth of artifacts including iron anchors,ropes,cannon balls,metal swords,coins,pottery,and ceramics.These findings offered archaeologists a glimpse into the missing pieces of shipbuilding technological exchange between ancient China and Korea and are valuable for studying international navigation history.

“No.3 is a cargo ship from Goryeo (Korea)loaded with blue porcelain bowls,oval-shaped pots,and pottery urns produced there,among other commodities,” Xiu said.“It is significant for determining the role Penglai Port played for the ancient Maritime Silk Road.Our museum is the only in China with shipwrecks from other countries.”

To better protect,display,and study the shipwrecks and artifacts excavated from them,experts reached consensus in 2005 to build an ancient ship museum in Penglai on the very site of the discovery.The main structure is largely subterranean so that the shipwrecks could be left where they were first found to recreate the scene of the ships docking at the port.Replicas of ship parts,videos,projections,and a model shipyard provide visitors an immersive experience in the busy port of ancient Penglai,as described in poetry: “Thousands of masts at sunrise and tens of thousands of lights at sunset.”

Disputed Matters

Pointing to the longest plank in the middle of the structure of the No.1 ship,Xiu explained that the ancient Chinese built ships starting with the keel,the spine of the ship.They then arrayed water-tight compartment plates along it to create a strong “skeleton” that would allow the ship to withstand fierce winds and waves.The keel is key to distinguishing Chinese from Korean-made ships,Xiu said.

“But the No.3 and 4 ships from Goryeo are not identical,which has caused heated debate,” she noted.In August 2006,an international seminar on ancient ships was held in Penglai,during which the No.3 ship became the focal point of debate.

Yuan Xiaochun,former curator of the Dengzhou Museum and vice chair of the China Research Association of Shipping History,participated in shipwreck excavations in Penglai in 1984 and 2005.In an article,he argued that the No.3 ship employed both Korean techniques—long wooden pegs and wooden nails in the hull—and Chinese techniques such as compartment plates,ribs,mast steps and reinforcement components .

Cui Yunfeng from Xiamen-based Jimei University and Seung-jun Kim from Korea Maritime &Ocean University authored a thesis titled “Significance of Ancient Goryeo Ships Found in Penglai in Korean Shipping History” in which they wrote: “As everyone knows,Korean ships did not have compartment plates or ribs,but the No.3 ship is completely different from other Korean ships because its structure shows both Chinese and Korean shipbuilding techniques.” Other Korean scholars have pointed to a chapter in the 15th Century book History of Goryeo,which reports that in 1274,officials from the Yuan Dynasty sent designs for Chinese ships to Goryeo requesting it to build vessels accordingly.

Based on historical records,study of the shipwreck,and reconstruction of the ship,Chinese and Korean scholars determined that the No.3 ship was built by Goryeo with Chinese techniques.

The No.3 ship caused a sensation in both countries and was hailed by some Korean ship historians as an “epochal finding.” TV stations from the Republic of Korea including KBS and MBC sent crews to Penglai to make the documentary Korean Ships Brought Back to Life.“The two Goryeo ocean-going sailboats unearthed in Penglai,an international port in ancient northern China,are evidence of exchange in shipbuilding techniques between ancient China and Korea,” said Yuan.“They testify to the frequent political,economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides over the sea in the past and are rare findings in the world’s shipbuilding history.”

According to historical records in the museum,the sealant,watertight compartments,rudder,and sail of the No.1 ship show that China led the world in ship technologies and marine navigation in early Ming Dynasty.In that period,Chinese ships were required to undergo minor repairs after three years in operation,thorough repairs in the sixth year,and a total rebuild in the 10th year.Construction and maintenance followed rigorous application and approval procedures,with the division of work,techniques,materials and quality requirements all clearly specified.All this indicates that in the Ming Dynasty,China had established a complete,sound shipbuilding management system.

Sculpture of Jeong Mong-ju (1337-1392),a Korean politician of the late Goryeo Dynasty who visited China several times as a diplomatic envoy and passed Penglai three times.(HUANG JIANGQIN)

The Maritime Silk Road Museum launched a project to preserve the No.3 ship in August 2023.(MARITIME SILK ROAD MUSEUM)

The Maritime Silk Road Museum sits on the southwestern bank of Xiaohai Bay,Penglai Pavilion Scenic Area.(MARITIME SILK ROAD MUSEUM)

Starting Point of the Maritime Silk Road

The Maritime Silk Road first emerged in the pre-Qin period (before 221 BC),took initial shape in the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-220 AD),extended in subsequent eras,and reached a pinnacle in the early Ming Dynasty.It featured two main routes: One stretched from China’s southeastern coast to the Indo-China Peninsula,through the South China Sea and across the Indian Ocean before ending in East Africa and Europe;the other started in Penglai and headed eastward across the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea to reach the Korean Peninsula and Japanese archipelago.

Historically an important port connecting China with the rest of the world through the Maritime Silk Road,Penglai saw the arrivals and departures of about 90 Korean and Japanese delegations during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907).Among their members were celebrities such as Korean diplomat Jeong Mong-ju and Japanese monk Ennin.

The thriving port contributed to an economic boom.Penglai’s streets were lined with all kinds of stores,attracting merchants from all over the country.Because envoys,monks,and businesspeople from Goryeo and Japan cleared customs there,and international activities were frequent,the imperial court established agencies in Penglai to handle foreign affairs and receive international visitors,making it an international trading port.

According to Xiu Linlin,its political significance and advantageous geographical position made Penglai the largest port in northern China and one of the top four ports in the nation during the Tang Dynasty.It played an important role in China’s political,economic,and cultural exchanges with the Korean Peninsula and Japanese archipelago.The Song Dynasty (960-1279) built a fortress there to harbor military boats,making Penglai a military port of unrivaled strategic significance in the region.The four ships from the Yuan and Ming dynasties discovered in the region testify to the high volume of traffic along the Maritime Silk Road.

Advanced ship-building technologies were critical for the creation of the Maritime Silk Road and the voyages along it.“The shipwrecks in Penglai and the artifacts unearthed along with them indicate that Dengzhou was an important port on the northeastern shore of China,a busy port for trading with the Korean Peninsula and Japanese archipelago,and a starting point of the northeastern route of the Maritime Silk Road,” Yuan concluded.

Having been immersed in seawater for centuries and then exposed to the elements during display,the shipwrecks have become increasingly fragile in recent years,with many wood parts cracking and warping.This August,the museum launched a project to preserve the No.3 ship,aiming to mitigate the decay process and reinforce its structure through cleaning,desalination,repair,mold and pest control,and insulation measures.

The project recently entered its final stage.“We will be ready for intermediate checks in a few days,”said Yang Shuai,an experienced antique restorer with China Cultural Relics Academy.“All that’s left after that is some supplements and reinforcement here and there.” The project is expected to end in early 2024,but to keep the antique ships in good shape for the long term,the museum must continue daily monitoring and regular protection measures indefinitely.