When the characters are young.
Wang Dayuan was born in Yuan Wuzong and was a senior (13 1 1). He was smart and studious since he was a child and was deeply loved by his parents. He wanted to be a talented person when he grew up, so he chose "Zhang Huan" from The Analects. Wang Dayuan lived up to expectations and became a world-famous navigator.
youth
He first went to Quanzhou, which was the largest commercial port in southern China and one of the largest commercial ports in the world at that time. Seeing people of all colors and languages, they push each other; See a dazzling array of Chinese and western exotic goods, piling up like mountains; Ships of all sizes from all over the world are moored in the harbor; Especially the exotic customs told by Chinese and foreign businessmen and sailors are so vivid and interesting. All these deeply touched Wang Dayuan's curiosity, and later contributed to his two great voyages to the ocean.
In the first year of Shun (1330), Wang Dayuan, who was only 20 years old, set sail from Quanzhou Port on an ocean-going merchant ship.
The tour group arrived in Hainan as a transit point. Then it crossed the Xisha Islands, successively crossed the toes, occupied the city, and reached the contemporary Khmer coast. In the remaining stage of Angkor Dynasty, Wang Dayuan witnessed the luxurious and bizarre Buddhist temple. There are golden elephants, white elephants, golden peacocks and jade apes in front of the palace, which makes people see things in a blur. Due to the warm climate all the year round, the fields here are fertile and rich in agricultural products. The homes and tableware of the nobles were all made of gold, so that they were particularly gorgeous in the eyes of outsiders at that time.
In order to maintain trade, many Nanyang monarchs give special care to the main suppliers of goods. As Wang Dayuan of the Tang Dynasty, he found that the situation here was similar to that of Champo, and even if he killed himself, he didn't have to pay for it. But if the natives kill themselves or their companions, they need to kill one life for another. Therefore, many people left their hometown in advance to avoid the war of destroying Song Dynasty in Yuan Dynasty, and do as the Romans do here. Local women still retain the primitive customs of Nanyang, and when they grow up, they need to go to a nearby temple to lose their virginity. Men will also sell their wives to foreign guests, proud of the bull market.
Later, Wang Dayuan left this male paradise and went to Siam, where the folk customs were tough. Then take a boat from the Gulf of Thailand and go south to contemporary Singapore Island and Kalimantan. These civilian ships will be equipped with domestic armed forces to resist when attacked. Beat back the frequent Malay pirates with crossbows and primitive firearms.
In Boni and Brunei in Kalimantan, there are still a group of Chinese who are warmly received by local tribes. Even if you drink at the banquet, your luggage will still be penniless when you wake up. There is almost no threat of war in these Nanyang Buddhist countries, and everyone is bathed in the compassionate aura of Buddhist culture. National government affairs are also relatively simple, and only one tax official is needed to manage revenue and expenditure in an orderly manner. Because of the hot climate, residents will choose to rest during the day and wait until the sun sets before coming out to work. Although the working hours are not long, the local volcanic ash soil is very fertile and can ensure sufficient agricultural output. Foreign businessmen can exchange silver, red gold or iron for hawksbill, plum blossom slices, nutmeg, small diced meat and other specialties. These spices will also lead western colonists to plunder and fight here centuries later.
Also in Goulan Mountain, kalimantan island, Wang Dayuan and his companions discovered the remains of Yuan Yuan Expeditionary Force. They may come from the hometown of Southern Song Dynasty, Central Plains or Saibei. Nowadays, tortured by tropical climate and diseases, it is surrounded by surrounding aborigines. In addition to struggling to make a living, there is no chance to see the hometown of Saibei in the south of the Yangtze River.
During his subsequent trip to Sumatra, Wang Dayuan visited the kingdom of Sanfo Qi, which was in its heyday at that time. Although it is also in a mild climate, the domestic folk customs are fierce and aggressive, and the monarch must adopt a severe punishment system for management. Moreover, the domestic people should always respond to the call for conscription, so they are the Nanyang bullies that everyone fears. However, in order to cope with seasonal storms, local civilians are boatmen. Once there are signs of low tide, storm or tsunami, they will move to a calm area in time to reduce losses.
During the trip, Wang Dayuan also saw some resources that people didn't pay much attention to at that time. For example, on the island of Sombawa in Little Sunda, the soil on the seashore will emit black viscous liquid. It can be processed into ink, can also be used as heating fuel, and even used to make fierce oil tanks. As we know today, this black liquid is oil. Indonesia is still the richest and most important crude oil producing area in Southeast Asia.
Of course, some places seem mild, but in fact they are dangerous to outsiders. For example, in East Timor, the water quality is poor, and there are not only many malaria, but also many lithiasis. Local indigenous chiefs often take women aboard for fun, but it is easy to cause infectious diseases. Foreign merchants are easily infected and die in batches on their way back.
After leaving the hinterland of Nanyang, Wang Dayuan's ship took advantage of the winter wind in the Indian Ocean and crossed the strait of Malacca, where the wind was high and the waves were sharp. In this process, the huge wind and waves made the compass fail for a time. Although the team passed the test, the keel and sawdust on the sea showed that someone was killed because of the weather.
After a narrow escape, the world of the vast Indian Ocean began to appear in front of Wang Dayuan. In the multilateral trade of Asia, Africa and Latin America, they will meet many caravans from Italy and Arabia. These people often sell European jewels, weapons and handicrafts to North Africa, and then sell slaves from East Africa and horses from North Africa and West Asia to India. Finally, precious minerals such as gems from the subcontinent will be brought back to their hometown for sale.
On the coast of Coromand in southeastern India, Wang Dayuan saw local men and women wearing headscarves or saris. Some women from Khrushchev caste are also good at practicing martial arts with darts and taking snake venom to help fight. The local agricultural conditions and economic model are also relatively rich and thrifty, depending on the fertility of the land and the dependence on foreign trade. They even saw a large brick tower built in 1267 on the coast of Nagapatam. This is a relic left by the envoys of the Southern Song Dynasty during their visit. In the era of Wang Dayuan, it was also regarded as a symbol by navigators.
Kallikat, located on the southwest Indian coast, is famous for its abundant pepper. The land here is also very fertile, and the people are still angry and like to carry weapons such as bows and arrows. However, other parts of the Malabar coast are not rich enough, and many islands in the sea are infested with insects and snakes, making it difficult for humans to get close. However, some small islands are rich in expensive rubies, which are valuable in overseas markets.
In order to find more trade opportunities, Wang Dayuan then headed for the Persian Gulf. Then I landed temporarily and went to the Arabian port of Basra. Like fish scales, local residents are slender and handsome, and like to wear white clothes made of camel hair to resist the huge temperature difference between day and night. In municipal planning, these places are often neat and beautiful, and a large number of public pools and fountains are also beautiful. People eat rice, wheat and mutton, haggle over every ounce for their lives and like to compete for profits. This gives Wang Dayuan ample opportunity to bargain and trade rich materials from three continents.
Then, Wang Dayuan went upstream along the lush Tigris River and came to Malag in western Persia. They unexpectedly found that a Han Chinese surnamed Chen served as a Lord here. He used to be a local official in the Yuan Dynasty, and later went to sea to stand on his own feet. Under his rule, the army in Malag area was stronger than Mazhuang, and cavalry was often sent to sweep around small countries and tribes. However, as a wild force who gave up the system and went out to develop alone, his achievements were not officially recognized and recorded, but only remembered by future generations through folk records.
Later, Wang Dayuan returned to the southern part of the Persian Gulf and visited Mecca, a holy place in the eyes of Muslims. Although the land here is barren, there is an economy brought by pilgrims. Therefore, we can still accumulate huge wealth and keep close contact with the three continents by land and water.
At the end of this journey, Wang Dayuan arrived in Egypt under Mamluk by land. It is found that under the regulation of Nile water conservancy facilities, more land output has been maintained, making people's lives generally rich. Powerful people wear heavy armor, ride eagles and wear headscarves. Wild animals and black slaves accompanied them when they traveled, and they also used weapons inlaid with gold, silver and precious jewels. They are the Mamluk knights who have repeatedly defeated the Mongols.
From the Red Sea coast of Egypt to the south, Wang Dayuan took the Mande Strait and Cape Hafeng of Somalia to reach the Tanzanian coast of East Africa. He witnessed the prosperity of the local slave trade and watched Arab businessmen auction robust natives like animals at will. In addition to being sold to North Africa, India and Nanyang Islands, Mongolian ships will also use them as escorts. Porcelain is hard currency and has the function of preserving value.
After crossing the Horn of Somalia and China Eastern Airlines, Wang Dayuan turned northeast to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the nearby Maldives. He rested comfortably under the local bodhi tree, watched the local monks worship Buddha devoutly, fishermen in hats caught huge marine fish in the clear sea water, and perhaps visited the fine house of Fa Xian's practice. All kinds of treasures accumulated along the way enabled Wang Dayuan to purchase local specialties such as red coral, cat's eye, cardamom and magnolia bark.
On the return trip, Wang Dayuan and others returned to zhina. Ships passing through the Nansha Islands need to be careful not to hit the rocks. On the coast of Fujian, I witnessed the sunrise wonders of Taiwan Province Island and the tidal changes in the Taiwan Province Strait. Of course, there are also scenes of indigenous farmers working hard and weaving. Finally, Wang Dayuan and others returned to Quanzhou smoothly. At this time, it was 1334, and it took five years before and after the whole process.
From Hui Zong to Yuan Dynasty (1337), Wang Dayuan set sail from Quanzhou for the second time, passing through Nanyang Islands, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, mozambique channel and Australia to the west of Indian Ocean, and returned to Quanzhou two years later.
Main story: After Wang Dayuan returned home from a long voyage, he began to compile an island chronicle, recording the social economy, exotic customs and customs of various countries he observed during his two voyages, and kept it as information. At that time, Quanzhou Road was compiling county annals, and Dai Yuli (called Huachi), the local governor of Quanzhou, and those who majored in county annals. Because Quanzhou is the seat of the "city shipping company" (customs, shipping, foreign trade and economic cooperation functions), "all foreigners can't remember it clearly", so the "Records of Island Yi" was included in the "Continuation of Records of Qingyuan Road in Quanzhou" as follows. Later, Wang Dayuan returned to Nanchang, his hometown after such a long separation, and edited The Records of Island Yi into A Brief History of Island Yi, which was published in Nanchang. This book is widely circulated. However, the book "Island Records" was mostly lost in the mutiny at the end of Yuan Dynasty, and finally lost in the future. This book was rated as 100 books that influenced China.
Wang Dayuan's personal work A Record of the Islands is very serious. He once said that "people in books are seen by eyes and ears, but legendary things are not included". Zhang Jian, a famous scholar who prefaced it and a local official in Quan Quan, said: "Wang Junhuan was crowned the top scholar (that is, at the age of 20) and tasted two oriental ships. What he does is to record his strange mountains and rivers, local customs and products. His bedroom, food and clothing are good, so he uses it properly in the transaction with his husband. He can't read books with his own eyes, but he can trust him slowly. " Another preface writer, Wu Jian, majored in Quanzhou local history, said, "His eyes are all written for remembering." People from the monarch will always believe what they say, so they are attached to the Record of Continuing Qingyuan (namely, the Record of Qingyuan Road in Quanzhou). Later, during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, Ma Huan, who accompanied Zheng He on seven voyages to the West, said, "Wherever he (Zheng He) goes, he must follow him, ... travel through different countries, witness it with his own eyes, and live personally, and then he knows that the author of The Island is not fake. It can be seen that the content of this book is true and reliable.
Shimashima yearbook
The abridged Collection of Island Stories contains more than 220 countries and regions such as Asia, Africa and Australia, and records their customs, products and trade in detail. It is a rare and precious historical material. According to the book, Taiwan Province Province and Penghu are sacred territories of our country. At that time, Taiwan Province was a province of Penghu, which belonged to Jinjiang County, Quanzhou, and the salt tax belonged to Jinjiang County. Many places in the book record the situation of overseas Chinese. For example, merchants from Wuzhai, Quanzhou, lived in Guridiman (now Timor Island). Some officers and men of the Yuan Army who went to Java stayed in Goulan Mountain (now the Big Island); In Shari Bataan (now Nagapatam on the east coast of India), there is a Chinese-style brick tower built by China people in 1267, engraved with the four characters of "South China University of Technology in August of the third year of Xianchun"; There are Tang people in Zhenla country (now Khmer); () Mud (now Kundian, kalimantan island) "I especially love Tang people"; Longyamen (now Singapore) is "the place where China men and women live"; Even the chief of Marujian (now Malac in northwestern Iran) is from Linzhang, China, surnamed Chen, and so on.
Introduction to Australia Island
There are two sections about Australia in Shi Ma Zhi Lue: 1. Mana; Second, Rothschild. At that time, China called Australia Roddy and Darwin Harbour mullaney. Quanzhou businessmen and sailors think that Australia is the last island on earth and call it the "lost island". Wang Dayuan recorded the situation of Australians at that time: some "men and women are different, don't knit or wear clothes, cover themselves with bird feathers, don't eat fireworks, only eat and drink blood and live in caves." Some "wear five-color blouses and tie them into a single skirt with friends and barbed cloth." There is also a record of an Australian crane, with gray hair, red mouth and red legs, dancing. It is six feet tall. "People clap their hands and dance with their wings. They are handsome and foreign." He called it a crane. It is also called "Heather Tree", which is a kind of tree unique to Australia and as red as a flame.
Wang Dayuan also recorded that a place in northern Australia is surrounded by water, which is a large swamp east of Darwin Harbour in Australia today. "There is () a mountain standing tall" means that there are many oysters attached to the steep coast of northwest Australia. The Anheng Peninsula on the northern Australian coast and the 800-meter-high Chiperi Terrace are also recorded. "Qifeng Lei Lei, like a galloping horse, stands by the sea." All these are true and correct. Shi Ma Zhi Yi Lue has important historical value in the study of historical geography, so it has long been concerned by the world. Since 1867, ten western scholars have studied the book and translated it into western languages. There are two sections in "Island Brief" that record the customs and products of Australia in detail, which should be the earliest written record about Australia. However, western scholars dare not admit that Wang Dayuan has been to Australia, because nearly 200 years after Wang Dayuan arrived in Australia, only Europeans in the world knew about the existence of this continent.
The influence of his works on Shi Ma Yi Zhi Lue can be said to be inherited from Zhou Qufei's A Generation Beyond the Ridge and Zhao's Records of the Song Dynasty, followed by Ma Huan's Ying Ya Sheng Lan and Fei Xin's Xing Xu Sheng Lan, which are far more important than these works in the Song and Ming Dynasties. The General Catalogue of the Four Encyclopedias said: "Those who have never experienced their own land in the history of foreign biographies (referring to the twenty-four histories), that is, Zhao Zhi's various models, are mostly popular in the city." Dayuan's book is handwritten, not empty talk. "Wang Dayuan went to the Western Ocean twice, traveled widely and wrote a lot. Until the middle of Qing dynasty, he was still among the best.
Wang Dayuan once said: "Where we pass, we often write poems to remember its mountains, rivers, customs, scenery and products." The article "Big Foshan" in "Yi Dao Lue" said: Their ship arrived near the Big Foshan (now Sri Lanka) to collect precious and rare corals. Wang is very excited. "The next day, I wrote an ancient poem with a rhyme of 100 to remember it." Mr. Shao Anyu of Zhang Yu wrote a poem at once after he returned to his hometown and stayed in Scholar's Academy to recite it. "Mr Shao Anyu was a famous scholar in Yuji at that time. His study is called Shao An, which is named after its name. The poet was also moved by Wang's poems, and he wrote poems in harmony, which shows the superb poetry of Wang Dayuan. It's a pity that Wang Dayuan didn't see any other works handed down from ancient times except Looking at the Island. Wang Dayuan's later life is not recorded. However, his great contribution to world history and geography has long been unanimously recognized by Chinese and foreign scholars.