{"id":1120,"date":"2026-06-08T02:29:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T06:29:14","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-07-26T17:21:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T17:21:17","slug":"ancient-trade-routes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/?p=1120","title":{"rendered":"Ancient Trade Routes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Roman-roads-50K-miles.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"236\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Roman_roads\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">The 50.000 mile Roman road system<\/span><\/a> was vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman empire.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/N-Afrika_trade_routes.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"130\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Trans-Saharan caravan routes (\u22481400). Ghana Empire (13thC.) <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mansa_Musa\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Mali Empire<\/span><\/a> (13th-15thC.). Niger (yellow). <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Timbuktu\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Timbuktu<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Mali%20empire.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"118\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Timbuktu-manuscripts.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"105\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Manuscripts-Timbuktu.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"142\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Inca_roads-25K-miles.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"222\" height=\"390\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Inca_road_system\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">The 25.000 mile Inca road system<\/span><\/a> was the most extensive and advanced transportation system in South America.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">(The first -poor- Spanish conquistadores from Extremadura, happened to find 3 desperately weakened empires in the Americas: Aztecs, Mayas, Incas.)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Silk_Road_1stC-AD.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"163\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Silk_Road\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">The 4.000 mile Silk road system<\/span><\/a> was a network of Asian trade routes active from the 2ndC BC, until the 15thC.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/BRI-map.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"266\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">China&#8217;s current <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Belt_and_Road_Initiative\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Belt &amp; Road Initiative<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/shipping_routes_chancay-peru.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"205\" \/><br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"2px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Port_of_Chancay\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Cosco-Chancay<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshplaza.com\/north-america\/article\/9630838\/the-new-port-set-to-open-next-year-near-lima-offers-promising-prospects-for-fruit-exporters\/\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Port-Peru<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"2px; color: #ff00ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>Peru is Chinese for:<br \/>\nfine mist on the coast of Peru in winter<br \/>\nChancay in medieval Castilian:<br \/>\n&#8220;City of Chinese silk&#8221;<br \/>\nIn 1420&#8217;s Chancay started to<br \/>\nmass produce China-like pottery)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/costco-port-chancay-peru.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"153\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/r0cwIG23A0w?si=eN9v5RqR9Fiu_J4d\" width=\"280\" height=\"155\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Song_dynasty\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Song Dynasty<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nmaritime trade to W-Asia and Africa<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5JCsv0-s6J0&amp;ab_channel=AfricanHistoryFountain\"><strong><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">From 40.000 BC &#8211; 1700 AD:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Champa-people.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"126\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Afr-divine-ruler.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"155\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W_hQj5mkvaI?si=vEVw3ekXSn7M--6L\" width=\"277\" height=\"155\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wZII2rSIS6U?si=_-eNhvMxQRXdMpMp\" width=\"277\" height=\"155\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Afr-Xi-dynasty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"157\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Black-Xi-dynasty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"159\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Kilwa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"183\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kilwa_Chronicle\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Kilwa<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Swahili-bldrs-Zambia.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"136\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Swahili-dynasty(1).jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"131\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Swahili_people\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Swahili Dynasty<\/span><\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong>\u00a0trading with Arabia, India, China<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/slave-trade.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"115\" \/><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trans-Saharan_slave_trade\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Trans-Saharan Slave Trade<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/5kyr-old-map-Egypt.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"156\" \/><br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">5000 year old world map drawn by whom?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/African-sailers.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"141\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"6px; color: #ffd700;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Ancient African Seafarers and their ships:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ORB3y4T5pSI?si=s3I-3AWgPXvUYOTC\" width=\"280\" height=\"155\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Swahili-ruling-oceans.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"202\" height=\"161\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/10thC-ship-Champa-rulers.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"153\" \/><br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"6px; color: #ffd700;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Chinese Junk<br \/>\ncopied from African Ocean liners?:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Chinese-600yr-ship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"187\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6846\" src=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Luxury-Junk-300x186.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"276\" height=\"171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Luxury-Junk-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Luxury-Junk-1024x635.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Luxury-Junk-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Luxury-Junk.jpg 1078w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 276px) 100vw, 276px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinese_treasure_ship\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Chinese treasure ship<\/span><\/a> is a large wooden Chinese junk in the fleet of admiral <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zheng_He\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Zheng He<\/span><\/a>, who led seven voyages to over 300 countries during the early 15th-century of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ming_dynasty\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Ming dynasty<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Zheng_He.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"330\" height=\"145\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Admiral Zheng He<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"6px;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dTbi5AAIeag\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">largest ships in Zheng He&#8217;s fleet<\/span><\/a> had the size of 44 zhang, which is over 130 mtrs in length, and up to 52 mtrs wide, providing living and working space to &gt;1000 people.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CqU_AYjtY_Y?si=Px8VUZw_5SiO33fe\" width=\"280\" height=\"155\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"6px;\">Ming records show the first voyage was with 62 treasure ships, built within 3 years, plus 190 smaller ones, crewed by 27,800 men. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6847\" src=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500yr-old-junk-1-300x181.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500yr-old-junk-1-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500yr-old-junk-1-768x463.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500yr-old-junk-1.jpg 802w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"6px;\">A Zheng He era inscription in the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jinghai_Temple\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Jinghai Temple<\/span><\/a> in Nanjing gave the size of Zheng He ships of about 500 tons.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6837\" src=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Junk-cross-section-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Junk-cross-section-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Junk-cross-section-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Junk-cross-section-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Junk-cross-section.jpg 1171w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"6px;\">From 1403 to 1419, 3488 ships were built, of which about 2700 war-ships with canons. Ropes were made of bamboo fibers, strengthened in boiling water.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6848\" src=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Chinese-rudder-design-300x182.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Chinese-rudder-design-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Chinese-rudder-design-768x467.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Chinese-rudder-design.jpg 814w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6849\" src=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/JUnk-deep-shallow-wtr-300x186.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/JUnk-deep-shallow-wtr-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/JUnk-deep-shallow-wtr.jpg 769w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Ming-Expeditions.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"211\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZTCVaHn9b88&amp;ab_channel=GeoHistory\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">The 2nd voyage of this city under sail<\/span><\/a> consisted of 249 ships.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"6px;\">An anonymous annalistic account of the then-ruling <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rasulid_dynasty\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Rasulid dynasty of Yemen<\/span><\/a>, compiled in the years 1439\u20131440, states:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6838\" src=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500yr-old-junk-300x181.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500yr-old-junk-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500yr-old-junk-768x463.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500yr-old-junk.jpg 802w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KFHXuOhJ4Ow&amp;ab_channel=AbsoluteHistory\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Dragon-ships that arrived in the town of Aden<\/span><\/a>, had envoys of the ruler of China on board who brought brilliant gifts for his Majesty, the Sultan al-Malik al-N\u00c4\u0081sir in January of 1419:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Zhang-He-vs-Columbus.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"153\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Columbus vs Chinese boat size<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=J2irB3YEBAA\">Splendid Chinese silk cloth<\/a><\/span>, top quality musk, and different chinaware vessels, weighing 93.6 kg.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/China-merchant-ship-closeup.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"138\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>Hard sails, huge oars, many canons<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">On March 19, 1419, the Sultan ordered that the Envoy of the ruler of China returned with gifts, including many rare, with frankincense-wrapped coral trees, wild animals like oryx, wild ass, thousands of lions and cheetahs.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Nanjing_Treasure_Boat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"247\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Niccol\u00f2_de%27_Conti\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Niccol\u00f2 de&#8217; Conti (1395\u20131469)<\/span><\/a> sailed on the Chinese ships and brought their world-maps to the King of Portugal, and claimed to have seen 5-mast Chinese junks of \u22481000 tons.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Sth-Pac-winds-currents.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"118\" \/>\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Prevailing winds and currents<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Hong-Bao-trip-AUS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"118\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"> The greater ships carry 12 sails, and the smaller ones only 3. The sails of these vessels are made of strips of bamboo, woven into the form of matting. The sailors never lower them while sailing, but simply change the direction according to where the wind is coming from. When the ships cast anchor, the sails with adjustable spars, are left standing in the wind.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Chinese-treasure%20ship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"160\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">The vessels have 4 decks, upon which there are cabins and saloons for merchants. Several of these contain cupboards and other conveniences. They have doors which can be locked, and keys for their occupiers. The merchants take with them their wives and concubines. It often happens that a man can be in his cabin without others on board realizing it, and they do not see him until the vessel has arrived in some port.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Sth-Atl-circ-winds-currents.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"183\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">South Atlantic circulatory<br \/>\nwinds and currents<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">The sailors had their children with them. They had space to sow garden herbs, vegetables, and ginger in wooden tubs.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/WorldShips-1460.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"336\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">On 8 March 1421, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ming_treasure_voyages\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">the largest fleet the world had ever seen<\/span><\/a> set sail from China. The ships, some nearly 500 feet long, were under the command of Emperor Zhu Di&#8217;s loyal eunuch admirals. Their mission was &#8216;to proceed all the way to the end of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas&#8217; and unite the world in Confucian harmony.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/The-Ming-Dyn-fleet.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"118\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Zheng He&#8217;s fleet resembled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gavinmenzies.net\/china\/book-1421\/\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">a floating university<\/span><\/a> and probably had more intellectual knowledge in its library (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yongle_Encyclopedia\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Yongle Encyclopedia<\/span><\/a>) in every sphere of human activity than any university at that time.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8149\" src=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sails-held-up-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"162\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sails-held-up-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sails-held-up-1024x551.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sails-held-up-768x414.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sails-held-up.jpg 1155w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Their 7th and last journey would last for over two years and take them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.es\/dp\/0553815229?psc=1&amp;smid=A1AT7YVPFBWXBL&amp;ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">around the globe<\/span><\/a>. However, by the time they returned home, China was beginning its long, <span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><a style=\"color: #ffd700;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PRpLL-u5cYE\">self-imposed isolation from the world it had embraced<\/a><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Currents-N-Atl-Ocean.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"319\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Thus, the great ships were left to rot and the records of their journey were destroyed, and with that, the knowledge that the Chinese had circumnavigated the globe a century before Magellan, and that they reached America 70 years before Columbus, and Australia 350 years before Cook.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Champa-12thC.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"211\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">African Champa Oceanfarers 12thC AD<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Champa_king.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"157\" \/><br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ibrahim_Traor\u00e9\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Champa King accepting gifts &amp; foods<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/1421-worldmap.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"355\" height=\"254\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Black dots are places with traces of<br \/>\n\u22481421 Chinese settlements<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-6545\" src=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Waldseemuller_world_map_1508-300x167.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Waldseemuller_world_map_1508-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Waldseemuller_world_map_1508.jpg 666w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Waldseem\u00fcller_map\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Waldseemueller 1507 Worldmap<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">The brilliance of the Renaissance laid the foundation of the modern world. Textbooks tell us that that was the result of a rediscovery of the ideas\/ideals of classical Greece and Rome. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">But in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/1434-Magnificent-Chinese-Ignited-Renaissance-ebook\/dp\/B001A16X5E\/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3BP2NPPJQKQLL&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.51rr7GeZVGRvUVGOyRhpzPRgSk0Uj_ZcxtfoC3Xl08cJtOLPh0PtqfihwDS2NQwOdImoU7a1OwcVSQAlFLfBDA.Q9OFPFjMeLcb9uALmtH9DY6nfPeAsMqX3axkx6jck30&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=1421%3A+The+Year+China+Discovered+The+World&amp;qid=1743525415&amp;sprefix=1421+the+year+china+discovered+the+world%2Caps%2C177&amp;sr=8-2\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">1434<\/span><\/a>, China\u2014then the world&#8217;s most technologically advanced civilization\u2014 provided the spark that set the European Renaissance ablaze. Since that date, Europeans embraced Chinese intellectual ideas, discoveries, and inventions, all of which form the basis of western civilization.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">In early 15th century Florence and Venice, traders from across the globe did business there. A Chinese fleet\u2014official ambassadors of emperor Xuande\u2014 arrived in Tuscany in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1421foundation.org\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">1434<\/span><\/a>, where they were received by Pope Eugenius IV. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">The delegation presented him with a wealth of Chinese learning from a diverse range of fields: geography (including world maps + world globe, passed on to Columbus, Cook, and Magellan), astronomy, mathematics, printing, architecture, art, steel manufacturing, military weaponry, etc. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">The great European explorers were brave and determined men. But they discovered nothing. Magellan was not the first to circumnavigate the globe nor was Columbus the first to discover the Americas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">This vast treasure trove of knowledge spread across Europe, igniting the legendary inventiveness of the Renaissance, including the works of da Vinci, Copernicus, Galileo, &amp; others.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mST7S6932Xc&amp;ab_channel=AcbKingTV\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">RUSSIA<\/span><\/a> &amp; <span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">HUAWEI+SMIC<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">CHECKMATED<\/span><br \/>\nASML + TSMC<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Is the same situation repeating itself in the 21st century, with China filing the <span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">most patent applications<\/span>, having the largest and most modern &amp; efficient <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Industry_of_China\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">manufacturing operations<\/span><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Expressways_of_China\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">road<\/span><\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/High-speed_rail_in_China\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">rail<\/span><\/a> &amp; <span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><a style=\"color: #ffd700;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinese_space_program\">space structures<\/a><\/span>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Belt_and_Road_Initiative\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">BRI<\/span><\/a>, and shipping all products across the world through their world&#8217;s largest boat company, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.coscoshipping.com\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">COSCO<\/span><\/a>, sailing over 1500 large carriers across all oceans?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/cosco_container_loading.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"153\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/sails-containership.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"166\" \/><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rotor_ship\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Containership with 8 rail, fixed, or folding rotor sails<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/pacific-currents.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"260\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"6px;\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">Dragon-Elephant Tango<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Dragon-elephant-tango.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"156\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/in.china-embassy.gov.cn\/eng\/dsxxs\/dshdjjh\/202408\/t20240802_11465769.htm\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">The \u201c5 Mutuals&#8221;:<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>respect, understanding, trust, accommodation, accomplishments.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2013%20pics\/decagon.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"177\" height=\"188\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">\u201cTwo bodies with one spirit\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/Kashmir-India-railroad.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"156\" \/><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/india\/621945-india-kashmir-railway-link\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">India-Kashmir Railroad<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\"><span style=\"6px;\">The new train route is a part of the 272km rail link that connects Kashmir with the rest of India\u2019s railway network. The route involves 36 tunnels, totaling 119km, and 943 bridges, passing through rugged, seismically active mountains with peaks over 15,000 ft. The rail link is a US$5.5B engineering marvel, like the Chenab Bridge, 359 m. above the riverbed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/userfiles\/image\/2025-pics\/China-1425-2025(1).jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"162\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong><span style=\"2px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">China&#8217;s Maritime route in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gavinmenzies.net\/china\/1434-2\/\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">1421-1434<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"> and 2024<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"?p=1130\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\"><strong>read more &#8230;<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 50.000 mile Roman road system was vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman empire. Trans-Saharan caravan routes (\u22481400). Ghana Empire (13thC.) Mali Empire (13th-15thC.). Niger (yellow). Timbuktu. \u00a0 The 25.000 mile Inca road system was the most extensive and advanced transportation system in South America. (The first -poor- Spanish conquistadores from Extremadura,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2070,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1120"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8151,"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1120\/revisions\/8151"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aboutyou.name\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}