Chinese Ancient Ship Atlas

Author: Wang Guanzhuo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-04-01
Features: The achievements of China's shipbuilding industry are undoubtedly the result of political, economic, military, and cultural development, especially the development of productive forces, which provided a solid foundation for shipbuilding. As China's shipbuilding capabilities grew, the variety and number of ships increased, and with a deeper understanding of nature and accumulated experience in navigation, China's shipping, transportation, cultural exchange, and naval warfare techniques also made significant progress. Throughout Chinese history, there have been several outstanding ship designers and countless skilled craftsmen experienced in shipbuilding. Unfortunately, literature has not recorded their great names or narrated their accomplishments. We can only recall and cherish their remarkable achievements through unearthed ship relics and shipbuilding historical records. The noble qualities of intelligence, initiative, perseverance, and diligence possessed by our ancestors are enough to inspire admiration and respect in later generations. Ancient Chinese shipbuilding technology once achieved great accomplishments, leading the world in several aspects. Unearthed ancient Chinese ships and ship-related artifacts, as well as paintings and various ship illustrations from ancient texts, are scattered across institutions in mainland China and Taiwan, with some also held in other countries. Researcher Wang Guanzhuo from the Chinese History Museum has meticulously collected and organized over 600 artifacts and illustrations from various sources at home and abroad, compiling The Illustrated Catalog of Ancient Chinese Ships. This book brings together various types of ancient Chinese ships in one volume, a sight unseen before. The author has also written Ancient Chinese Shipbuilding and Navigation as the main research paper for this book, guiding the illustrations with text and complementing the text with illustrations, creating a magnificent picture of the development of ancient Chinese shipbuilding technology. This book is an invaluable reference for historians, cultural relic workers, researchers of the history of science and technology, educators, students, shipbuilders, and artists.