Nánhǎi 南海, the South Sea, took on a new dimension for the Chinese after the capital Kaifeng fell to the Jurchen in 1127, precluding contacts north of the Yellow River. The retreating Southern Song dynasty (1127-1274) had to turn to the South China Sea, as it is now universally called, to provide a new outlet for the country’s manufacturing prowess. Zhejiang emerged then as the political, economic and cultural heartland, with Hangzhou as the new capital; while the coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, cradle of Chinese shipwrights and seafarers, spearheaded a veritable, if peaceful, maritime expansion. Until the 9th-10th centuries, China’s maritime trade was mainly conducted by foreigners—Arabs, Persians, Indians, Southeast Asians—on their own vessels, with the Chinese starting to take an active role afterwards.
In 1987, a Chinese junk wreck from the Southern Song period was found off the Guangdong coast, in Taishan county, some 200 km from Hong Kong. The overall salvage was conducted between 2007 and 2019, the first time such a complex recovery operation had been done by a Chinese team alone. The Nanhai I, as archaeologists named the vessel, yielded a wealth of information comparable to its rich cargo. It is claimed to be the most complete hull ever found (most shipwrecks are trashed by the passing of time and trawling fishing), and it is exceptional both for the large number of artefacts found and their good state of preservation. Furthermore, because the wreck can be dated with accuracy, it illuminates patterns of trade and the interplay between official institutions and private entrepreneurs at the time. The exhibition “Nanhai I Shipwreck and the Maritime Silk Road”, now at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Kowloon Park, therefore, showcases one of the most important underwater discoveries to date, commendably and clearly explained with sufficient context for the public to follow.

The Nanhai I is an archetype of Chinese oceangoing vessels known as Fuchuan (Fujian-style ship), with three masts, battened sails, raised stern, heavy ballast keel and watertight-bulkheads. One can imagine the junk with two large dragon eyes painted on each side of the prow, now vanished. The size, around 22 metres length for 10 metres beam, and a loading capacity of about 800 tonnes, speak of a large ship indeed: it is no wonder such vessels with their bountiful cargoes flooded the region with Chinese wares.

It was a mixed haul, “mainly porcelain and ironware, followed by gold, silver and copper cash coins, and luxury goods made of gold, copperware and lacquerware.” The figures are staggering: 160,000 pieces of ceramics and 124 tonnes of iron concretion.

On display are celadon from Longquan (Zhejiang), Qingbai porcelain from Jingdezhen (Jiangxi), and Fujian wares, mainly Dehua or Blanc de Chine, and the less familiar (nowadays) Cizao ceramics, the latter of which, for reference, constitute the largest number of Fujian ceramics exported to the Philippines in the Song-Yuan period; they are also the most diverse in shape and decoration.
The artefacts that steal the show, however, are the robustly-shaped storage jars known as “Kwangtung” jars. These were mainly produced in the Nanhai kiln in today’s Foshan, near the river port of Guangzhou, a place that continues to export ceramics—now tiles—to the world. And what did they store? Wine, all kinds of liquors, made from yeast and other substances. We learn that some of these wines were famous, extolled by the great Tang poets Po Chu-i or Li He. At first sight, a reflection comes to mind. Since there is no trace of silk in the shipwreck, for obvious reasons, and there is no mention and not even space left for those fabrics, shall we rename those maritime trading routes by the merrier Wine Road?

These jars of amber, brown or dark-brown glaze, around 30-40 cm tall, and at least four lugs for handling, became commonplace throughout Southeast Asia and Japan. In Japan some of these jars were used to store tea leaves, accorded a high status in relation to Chanoyu or the world of tea. The jars, being worthy of display, adornment, and contemplation, were even given a proper noun, like the famed Chigusa, now at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art. It’s worth noting that the store jars bear stamped marks in Chinese characters, sometimes framed in elaborate cartouches, which reveal key information. For instance, the name of the wine, Bai Hua Chun (Blossoms of Hundred of Flowers), evokes the Book of Songs. Sometimes the marks acted as brand names, to identify the winemaker: Wu Zi Hao (Wu’s brand), or Liang Zhai (Liang’s house). The latter suggests that a local official under the name Liang invested privately to brew wine in official storehouses, either for private consumption or sale in the market, apparently a widespread, albeit illegal, practice.
One jar bears a manufacturing date: the tenth year of the Chunxi reign of the Southern Song dynasty, 1183, which means the shipwreck could have happened in that year or shortly thereafter. This date is consistent with other pieces of evidence. The latest dated copper coins found in the hull also point to the Chunxi reign (1174-1189).

Finally, a small porcelain flask from Dehua is also marked with the tenth year of the Chunxi reign of the Southern Song dynasty (1183). This little pot, around 11cm tall, is one of the exhibition’s highlights. Besides the date, the base has written on it the name Zheng Jinjin, believed to have been a porcelain merchant from Fujian. The bottle has a softly lobed body with an impressed fern design and two tiny loops on collar; like most Dehua white wares it was made of two separate moulded halves luted together, the seam visible. This type of vessel is known as the “Marco Polo vase” because when Marco Polo left China through Quanzhou, Fujian, he brought with him a similar piece, one still preserved in a chapel in Venice.
The conclusions implied by these findings are reinforced with additional exhibits of different provenance. Similar stamped patterns and characters on the storage jars unearthed at the Nanhai I shipwreck were found at the Palace of Nanyue Kingdom site in Guangzhou (a government site charged with much history) and the Nanhai kilns in Foshan. Such jars or shards are on display alongside related pieces found in Hong Kong, such as a jar larger than average with a dragon pattern as decoration unearthed at the Sacred Hill site in Kowloon City.
The destination of our junk remains unknown, but given the volume and variety of its cargo it seems reasonable to surmise different ports of calls, not just one. Southeast Asia appears as the nearest ready market, but throughout this period the Chinese traded further west, to India, the Middle East, and the eastern coast of Africa. The exhibits support the conjecture of the journey’s beginning along the China coast. Although the junk was probably Fujianese, the loading must have started in Zhejiang; it would have sailed south to Fujian where the bulk of export ceramics were loaded, eventually reaching Guangzhou to take on the wine jars, thence to the open sea.
Zhejiang is the place of origin of celadon-glazed Longquan ceramics found in the cargo. The jewellery, silver ingots, and gold foil also came from the same province. The jewellery was made in the capital Hangzhou; those pieces were semi-finished, allowing for the gems to be mounted elsewhere. The exhibition labels also indicate that the jewellery designs are not Chinese, so they were intended for a foreign market. Silver and gold were carried as currency. A silver ingot weighing 25 taels is inscribed with characters that can be identified as coming from Hangzhou’s business district.
Gold foils bear the craftsman’s name, Han Si Lang or an instructor (minor official) surnamed Wang. Names were required by official regulations and served as advertisements. The way the gold was folded, how it could be divided, was all regulated and adapted to maritime trade. It all attests to advanced commercial mechanisms in an age of expansion of trade.
Institutional involvement in the promotion of trade is made manifest throughout the exhibition, in the provision of public warehouses for instance, as well as the blurred distinction between officials and private merchants. We learn that the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Supervisor (or rather, Commissioner) entertained ship merchants by holding an elaborate banquet at a famous restaurant, a practice widely recorded during the period. Fragments of the captain’s logbook recalling the farewell party have survived; the transcripts displayed here for the audience to read. Wine, again, features prominently, though, knowing the ship’s tragic end, the captain’s words take on a poignant significance:
The first day of the twelfth lunar month of the Gui Mao year, in Guangzhou, the weather was sunny.
The Guangzhou Maritime Trade Supervisorate [Commission] Banquet is reputed to be the most elaborate banquet. I didn’t realise this until I attended the banquet. Banners and flags fluttered in front of the Haishan Lou. The banquet venue was fully decorated with flowers and good wine was served. Drums, cymbals and other musical instruments began to play when guests entered the venue. Officials and merchants were seated according to protocol. The hosts and guests were cheerful. New dishes were served, and new performances, such as juggling, sumo wrestling and magic, were performed whenever we finished a glass of wine.
Serving guests Persian dates and betel nuts was a characteristic of Guangzhou. We were swigging Mei Gui Lu (rose wine) and Bai Hua Chun (spring and flower wine). While drinking, I saw the Supervisor stand up with a glass of wine and then another until we were thoroughly drunk so that everything would go well on the following day’s journey, and we would come back with fruitful results the following year. Then, all the guests praised the Supervisor and offered congratulatory speeches. While watching the singing and dance performances praising the dynasty and the mighty world, I also became drunk, with great hope for a wonderful upcoming journey…
This is one of the rare exhibitions laid out to make clear the economic and commercial issues of a time past. “Nanhai I Shipwreck and the Maritime Silk Road” is a brilliant exhibition in all respects and a model to follow. It is the fruit of collaboration between Mainland and Hong Kong cultural institutions, as well as Macau; there are too many to name, but the main organizers are Art Exhibitions China, the Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office, the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology and the Nanyue King Museum.
The Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, a colonial building in the charming Kowloon Park, is proving to be an excellent venue constantly holding exhibitions of merit: recently, a superb show about relics from Shandong province; not too long ago, an excellent exhibition of ancient ceramics found in Hong Kong. But it risks being overlooked for not getting the publicity it deserves. No catalogue of this exhibition has been published, nor even a brochure, there is just a perfunctory mention in the website. But such shortcomings can be addressed, and we wait for a bilingual publication to further divulge this wonderful story.
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