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A Chinese treasure ship () was a type of large wooden ship in the fleet of admiral Zheng He, who led seven voyages during the early 15th-century Ming Dynasty. Scholars disagree about the factual accuracy and correct interpretation of accounts of the treasure ships.〔(''Ancient Chinese Explorers'' ), Evan Hadingham, Sultan's Lost Treasures, NOVA, PBS Television〕〔(''Asia's Undersea Archeology'' ), Richard Gould, ''NOVA'', PBS Television article〕 The purported dimensions of these ships at 137 m (450 ft) long and 55 m (180 ft wide)〔''Science and Civilization in China'', Joseph Needham, Volume 4, Section 3, p.480〕 are at least twice as long as the largest European ships at the end of the sixteenth century. The British scientist, historian and sinologist Joseph Needham stated in his monumental research work Science and Civilisation in China that the ships were between 400 feet to 600 feet in length. In terms of wooden ships of all time the stated length is greater than the Greek Tessarakonteres of 2nd century CE which were reported to be as long as 128 m (425 ft). Treasure ships' dimensions are debated on practical engineering grounds, with some suggesting they were as short as 61–76 m (200–250 feet) or that they could only have been used on special occasions in the relative safety of the lower Yangtze River. Although a claimed treasure ship rudder has been unearthed in Nanking, China, its size is no larger than rudders known to have been used in <60m long Jiangsu traders in the 1930s, so cannot be taken as evidence of the uprooted giant dimensions. ==Accounts== The modern understanding of the ships derives from empirical and theoretical knowledge of the technical limitations of wooden sailing ships, historical Chinese records and accounts from European travelers who visited China around this time. However, there is debate amongst scholars about how these records should be interpreted. Some accounts suggest that treasure ships may have first appeared as early as the Song dynasty (960–1279). The modern analysis of the shape and structure of these ships is based on the contemporary ''Tian Fei Jing'' (The Worship of the Celestial Spouse) and the ''Wubei Zhi'' (The Records of Armaments and Military Provisions).〔(''The Archeological Researches into Zheng He's Treasure Ships'' ), SilkRoad webpage.〕 If the accounts can be taken as factual, Zheng He's treasure ships were mammoth ships with nine masts and four decks, capable of accommodating more than 500 passengers, as well as a massive amount of cargo. Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta in their translated accounts described multi-masted ships carrying 500 to 1000 passengers.〔''Science and Civilization in China'', Joseph Needham, Volume 4, Section 3, pp.460-470〕 Niccolò Da Conti, a contemporary of Zheng He, was also an eyewitness of ships in Southeast Asia, claiming to have seen 5 masted junks of about 2000 tons burthen.〔''Science and Civilization in China'', Joseph Needham, Volume 4, Section 3, p.452〕 A 'B' Class trading junk (c.55m long) from Xiamen in the third decade of the 19th century was wrecked in the entrance to Selat Gelasa, Indonesia, carrying c.1600 crew and passengers.〔"The Legacy of the Tek Sing: China's Titanic - it's tragedy and its treasure", Nigel Pickford and Mike Hatcher, Granta Editions, ISBN 978-1857570694〕 Zheng He's fleet included 300 ships, including 62 treasure ships, some of which were said to have been 137 m (450 ft) long and 55 m (180 ft) wide.〔〔(''The Great Chinese Mariner Zheng He [Cheng Ho]'' ), China the Beautiful webpage with Zheng He links.〕〔''Zheng He: China and the oceans in the early Ming dynasty 1404–1433'', Edward L. Dreyer, Longman, ISBN 0-321-08443-8, reviewed in (''China at sea'' ), Jonathan Mirsky, The Times Literary Supplement, Times Online, January 24, 2007〕 There are even some sources that claim some of the treasure ships might have been as long as 180 m (600 ft).〔( ''Taiwan: A New History'' ), Murray A. Rubinstein, page 49, M. E. Sharp, 1999, ISBN 1-56324-815-8〕〔(''Chinese discoverers dwarfed European travels'' ), Tony Weaver, IOL, November 11, 2002.〕 On the ships, there were more than 2800 people, including navigators, explorers, sailors, doctors, workers, and soldiers. Chinese records assert that Zheng He's fleet travelled extensively, sailing as far as East Africa. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chinese treasure ship」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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