Pirates & Privateers: Xie Chen & Lin Yanxi's Books

Cover Art:
From Sea Routes to Silk Roads

From Sea Routes to Silk Roads: Fujian and the Ryukyu Kingdom
By Xie Chen & Lin Yanxi
Royal Collins, 2023, ISBN 978-1-4878-1123-5, US $48.95 / CAN $65.95

In 1372, King Satto of the small island kingdom of Ryukyu (Okinawa) wished to formalize his country’s relationship with China. Fujian sailors had begun trading with the island for many years, but now the king desired to establish diplomatic ties and become a tributary state. This formal relation continued until 1879, when Japan annexed the island.

From Sea Routes to Silk Roads – part of the Illustrated Fujian and the Maritime Silk Road series – focuses on the connections between Fujian, China and Ryukyu. The port of Quanzhou provided the link, although Fuzhou later became the point of embarkation and debarkation for diplomatic missions. Details about these exchanges provide intriguing information about the envoys who visited Ryukyu. For example, those sent between 1403 and 1425 “had committed crimes and were punished to guard the borders.” (22) Scrolls depict in art what the narrative highlights.

Another outgrowth from these relations is that Fujianese shipwrights lend their expertise to Ryukyu, which allows the islanders to build “a thriving maritime trade known as Wan Guo Jin Liang (a bridge to all countries).” (16) The authors include fascinating facts and illustrations of Fujian shipyards and imperial mission ships known as fengzhou, as well as some traditions that seafarers practice when navigating from one place to another and the sea gods they believe in, such as Lady Linshui and the Sea Dragon King. The Fujian Bureau for Foreign Shipping manages the trade, and some architecture pertaining to this exists today. Whether for tribute or trade, merchants deal in sulfur, whetstones, kelp, copper, pepper, and products from logwood trees. Craftsmen share their knowledge and products, such as lacquerware and textiles.

The book contains a wealth of black-&-white and color illustrations that include maps, photographs, paintings, sample documents, and artifacts that show the connections between Fujian and Ryukyu. Among these are the Wan Guo Jin Liang Bell (1458) and pages from Shun Feng Xiang Song, an early chart depicting the sea route that Fujian sailors create during the days of the Song and Yuan emperors. Within the Forbidden City are items of tribute from Ryukyu, which originally come from other countries, such as Japanese armor and swords.

Of course, trade often leads to immigrants, and one section of this book is devoted to the thirty-six families from Min (China) who move to Ryukyu. There, they establish communities that become their home away from home and integrate the two cultures. People from Ryukyu also travel to China, and evidence of their time in the empire can be found in Fujian’s cemeteries. In addition, cross-cultural evidence is presented in each other’s cuisine.

From Sea Routes to Silk Roads is an engaging introduction to one facet of the Maritime Silk Road. Specific details are presented here that are absent from other books in the series, and sometimes in greater depth. Although impossible to display one long scroll that is currently held in Japan, the authors feel it important enough to subdivide the scroll so readers can view and study the segments across nine pages of what a Chinese diplomatic corps of the period looked like upon arrival in Ryukyu. This volume is one of the most thorough and insightful presentations in the series that happily avoids weaknesses found in its other titles.