Ancient Chinese Porcelain Moves Westward

In ancient times, China was a powerful engine for the world economy. And much of that power was built on the Chinese porcelain trade.

However, one man and his legendary voyages to the Gulf coast and Eastern Africa lies at the heart of this vital trade. Thanks to him, the East and West were bonded in a continuous exchange of goods and ideas.

That man was called Zhenghe, a great explorer and navigator during the Ming dynasty.

Although a sea trade route started between China and the south Asian countries in very early times, the trade was very small in scale, and limited by the difficulty of maritime shipping. But after Zhenghes voyages, beautiful porcelain dishes and plates were sent abroad in an unprecedented quantity.

In 1405, the great mariner set off the coast of Nanjing for the west. His emperor hoped to trumpet Chinese power and wealth to its neighbors, and Zhenghe was entrusted with the mission.

Pearls, paper, silk, and above all, tons of the most refined Jingdezhen Chinese porcelain would be presented to foreign kings as gifts. Chinese porcelain was greatly sought after outside of China, especially the items from Jingdezhen. Because porcelain is delicate and fragile, transporting them with camels on the overland Silk Road would be extremely difficult. Such gifts could win the emperor goodwill and submission from his neighbors.

To carry the large amounts of porcelain and other gifts, Zhenghe had a fleet that stunned everyone. There were 200 ships in total, with 27,000 crew members. They even brought tubs of soil to grow fruits and vegetables on the ships.

Zhenghe’s crew eventually made it all the way to eastern Africa. But this was no easy task: the treacherous waters from China meant he lost many crew members and ships. But when he arrived, he was a hero.

They traded all along the route with Malays, Indians, Arabs, and Africans. Today, if you have the chance to visit the Mombasa National Museum in Kenya, you can still see some of these beautiful porcelain items. In Malindi and Kenya, a local tradition that still lives today is that people decorate tombs with Chinese porcelain as a display of wealth.

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