Xu Bin & Zhang Jinhong's By the Wind

By the Wind: Fujian and Northeast Asia by Jinhong Zhang

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Sometimes, it helps to comprehend the past in order to improve the future. This is the premise behind the Illustrated Fujian and the Maritime Silk Road series edited by Xie Bizhen. By the Wind examines one aspect of this history – the maritime trade between the province of Fujian, China, and Korea and Japan, ties that date back to the early years of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE). The mountainous terrain of Fujian makes the sea a natural point of egress and ingress, which is why Fujianese merchants venture near and far aboard ships.

The earliest exchanges between Fujian and Northeast Asia document the sea routes that lead to thriving ports and renowned shipbuilding, especially during the Tang Dynasty (7th to beginning of 10th centuries). During the 900s, Fuzhou and Quanzhou become the principal ports involved in foreign trade. Among the goods purchased by those living on the Korean Peninsula are ivory, lacquerware, musical instruments, porcelain, tea, and wine. The Japanese favor books, copper coins, medicine, silk, spices, and stationery. Fujian merchants import folding fans, mercury, sulfur, swords, and timber from Japan, while Korean ginseng, horses, and weapons are in demand.

Commercial goods are not the only items that travel to and from Fujian and its trading partners. Buddhist monks sail back and forth, recording religious, cultural, and legal observations. Scriptures are translated and temples are built. Jianzhen sails to Japan six times. Duhou Xingshi, author of the four-volume The Five-cloud Collection, spends thirty-four years there. These monks show the Japanese how to prepare tea, which in turn becomes key components in their rituals. Ideas, customs, and printing techniques are among the other exchanges that occur.

There are periods when maritime trade experiences disruptions. Unrest in 14th-century Japan leads warriors and peasants to invade and plunder the coastal regions of Korea and Fujian, which significantly impacts Fujian socially and economically. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, some Chinese emperors mandate bans on trade with foreigners, which gives rise to smuggling in Fujian.

The book does have a few weaknesses. For example, there is a lack of consistency in capitalization. Assumptions are sometimes made regarding the familiarity of readers with Chinese history and culture. The mention of dynasties without actual dates is one example of this. Another is the reference to tea frying, something I had never heard of even though I enjoy drinking tea.

The strength of this volume is the wealth of information on Fujian during the Imperial period of Chinese history. Although it isn’t presented in great detail, what is shared serves as a good introduction on a variety of topics related to maritime trade, much of which is unfamiliar to English readers. Equally compelling are the illustrations, which allow readers to glimpse the rich history and culture without being able to explore either firsthand. I particularly enjoy the array of ships and close-ups of ship models that allow me to visually study the differences between vessels from Fujian, Northeast Asia, and Europe. I also like the ancient nautical charts, such as Nautical Charts of the Imperial Envoys to Ryukyu drawn by Zhe Henian and the double-page spread of a dragon dance in front a temple devoted to Mazu, the Chinese goddess of the sea.

As with the other titles in the series, By the Wind is a stimulating and immersive overview of Fujian’s role in the Maritime Silk Road, specifically as it regards China’s commercial and cultural exchanges with Korea and Japan.

(Review originally posted at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-expl...)



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