The Pacific Crossing of a Fuzhou Flathead Pole Junk

The Pacific Crossing of a Fuzhou Flathead Pole Junk

It is well documented that Chinese sailing vessels of a certain type and length (up to 200-meter and nine-masted vessels) had sailed the waters Magellan and Columbus “discovered” half a century later. But to this day, in the eyes of the modern mariners these Chinese vessels remain a myth. Why aren’t junks seen outside of China? Why are there no junks with more than two masts? Why was there no recording of any junk crossing the Pacific Ocean? Are they fit for ocean sailing? Five fishermen and one professional diplomat took upon themselves in 1955 to seek answers to the myth. With no previous experience in sails, they took a 50-year-old Fuzhou “flathead pole junk” across the Pacific. Through hands-on experience, these seafarers discovered the junk’s unique features that made her the most seaworthy vessel they had ever set foot on, namely the watertight bulkheads, the self-draining deck, the shroud-less masts, the slanting foremast, the self-adjusting ballast tank, the battens that stretched the sails from luff to reach, the automatic reefing and an adjustable rudder that also served as a center-board. These Chinese vessels had explored the seas beyond China for thousands of years with one purpose: Trade and Cultural Exchange. Since there was not much culture and trade to the east of China before the 17th Century, the Pacific was left out. After the death of Emperor Zhu Di in Ming Dynasty, Confucians took over the ruling of the court from the adventure-seeking Eunuchs. They enforced a strong closed-door policy. Under this policy, all oversea voyages were banned. No ships with more than two masts were allowed. Violators were punishable by decapitation. As time went on, the tradition lasted to the day when steamships took over.

Paul Chow

The Museum of Underwater Archaeology

November 2021

English

Chow, Paul. 2021. “The Pacific Crossing of a Fuzhou Flathead Pole Junk.” Edited by Brian Fahy, Hans Van Tilburg,
Bill Jeffery, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Riley Smith. In Proceedings of Fourth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on
Underwater Cultural Heritage: Keelung,Taiwan, and Virtual, November 1-5, 2021. The Museum of Underwater
Archaeology URL: https://apconf-much.org/proceedings/exhibits/show/apconf-muchproceedings/item/679

Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage