China's voyages a Castle/Pirates related topic

Discussion of topics concerning life in the middle ages around the world, including architecture, history, and warfare.
User avatar
JPinoy
Knight Bannerett
Posts: 2476
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2003 7:04 pm
Location: Rockefeller Center LEGO Store
Contact:

China's voyages a Castle/Pirates related topic

Post by JPinoy »

*= Edit

I've heard of this book a couple of years ago, but never really gave it much thought until I started thinking of making a Bao Chuan (treasure ship) in Lego. So I started doing more research and then I hit upon the website http://www.1421.tv/news.asp

I decided to have a look and even bought the book "1421 When China Discovered America", with the most compelling evidence I've heard were of those maps that European explorers later on had *used* to get to those particular places and claim to have "discovered" them.

*There's also a followup book called, "When China Discovered the World"... basically, they supposed to have went around the world.

I always wondered about who was it that charted and mapped "undiscovered" places long before they were apparently "discovered". Ever since I was still in my preteens learning about Europe's voyages of discovery and reading things like that.

*Its also interesting to note that Admiral Zheng He's nickname was "3 Jewels" or "Sin Bao" in Chinese. Funny how similar that name is to Sinbad, a legendary muslim sailor & explorer who went on voyages and adventures around the world.
Last edited by JPinoy on Sat Jul 09, 2005 4:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Peoples_General, master of the vast LEGO armies!
[url]http://www.bricklink.com/aboutMe.asp?u=Peoples_General[/url]
Behold! The mighty armies of my ORIGIN theme!
[url]http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.c ... lesGeneral[/url]
User avatar
eNiGMa
Justiciar
Posts: 1842
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 10:43 pm
Location: Taylorsville, Utah
Contact:

Post by eNiGMa »

Whoa, that is interesting. I'll have to go further into that site. Thanks for sharing!
Nathan Cunningham
[url=http://sly-pig.blogspot.com]Blog[/url] | [url=https://www.facebook.com/nathan.cunningham.9]Facebook[/url] | [url=http://sly-pig.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html]MOCs[/url]
User avatar
TwoTonic Knight
TwoTonic of Many Colors
Posts: 1815
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 11:33 pm
Location: The Lowest Pit of Megablocks

Post by TwoTonic Knight »

Spain: Spain! Columbus!

Italy: No! Italy! Columbus!

China: Chinese!

Russia: Russians! Mr. Chekov is right: We did it first!

Iceland: Vikings!

Amerinds: Native Americans!

Amerigo Vespucci: Native whats?

Chinese: Yeah, but they were ethnic Chinese!

Mongolia: No, they were Mongolians!

Lunatic Fringe: Egyptians!

Skully: Aliens!

Mulder: No, wait, maybe it was the bounty hunter aliens...

And the winner is: Micronesians?

Ethnocentrism lives! 8)

But I'm looking forward to the ship!


Edit in: The OTHER lunatic fringe has been added in for the benefit of Nathan (see below). :wink:
Last edited by TwoTonic Knight on Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Redwine the Ribald: Stare long enough into the abyss...
Two-Tonic Tippler: ...and you spit into it.

[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/corsair/C ... ippler.jpg[/img]
Asterios
Solecist
Posts: 583
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2003 6:40 am
Location: Stockton,California

Post by Asterios »

how can you find something that isn't lost.
Lord of the Armies

and

Master of the Domain
User avatar
Lord_Of_The_LEGO
Earl of Wells
Posts: 2954
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:20 pm
Location: Eureka, CA
Contact:

Post by Lord_Of_The_LEGO »

TwoTonic Knight wrote:Spain: Spain! Columbus!

Italy: No! Italy! Columbus!

China: Chinese!

Russia: Russians! Mr. Chekov is right: We did it first!

Iceland: Vikings!

Amerinds: Native Americans!

Amerigo Vespucci: Native whats?

Chinese: Yeah, but they were ethnic Chinese!

Mongolia: No, they were Mongolians!

Lunatic Fringe: Egyptians!
:lol: :lol:

Hehehe, that made me laugh! Though really, I think the winners are: Aliens! :twisted: 8)
In the process of converting to [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanwells/]Flickr[/url].
User avatar
JPinoy
Knight Bannerett
Posts: 2476
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2003 7:04 pm
Location: Rockefeller Center LEGO Store
Contact:

Post by JPinoy »

TwoTonic Knight wrote: Ethnocentrism lives! 8)
Yeah, but the author of the book is NOT of Chinese or even East Asian heritage.
Peoples_General, master of the vast LEGO armies!
[url]http://www.bricklink.com/aboutMe.asp?u=Peoples_General[/url]
Behold! The mighty armies of my ORIGIN theme!
[url]http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.c ... lesGeneral[/url]
User avatar
The Hordesman
Merchant
Posts: 1266
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 7:03 am
Location: Pillowland
Contact:

Post by The Hordesman »

I think humans were first. Nationalities are for sissies. :P Just because our cultures and appearance differs it doesnt make a any difference- poor are poor and rich are rich ;)

Will be fun to see. Emperor Chang face on Sin Bao? :wink:
[url=http://s14.invisionfree.com/brick_central/index.php?act=idx]Brick Central[/url]
[url=http://s13.invisionfree.com/Castle_World.php?act=idx]Castle World, for your Lego castle stories![/url]
User avatar
eNiGMa
Justiciar
Posts: 1842
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 10:43 pm
Location: Taylorsville, Utah
Contact:

Post by eNiGMa »

The Hordesman wrote:I think humans were first. Nationalities are for sissies. :P Just because our cultures and appearance differs it doesnt make a any difference- poor are poor and rich are rich ;)
I couldn't agree more!
Nathan Cunningham
[url=http://sly-pig.blogspot.com]Blog[/url] | [url=https://www.facebook.com/nathan.cunningham.9]Facebook[/url] | [url=http://sly-pig.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html]MOCs[/url]
User avatar
Dragonlord Esq.
Reeve
Posts: 499
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 7:41 am
Location: TX

Post by Dragonlord Esq. »

The Hordesman wrote:I think humans were first. Nationalities are for sissies. :P Just because our cultures and appearance differs it doesnt make a any difference- poor are poor and rich are rich ;)

Will be fun to see. Emperor Chang face on Sin Bao? :wink:
Humans weren't the first species in the Americas. :wink:
User avatar
JPinoy
Knight Bannerett
Posts: 2476
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2003 7:04 pm
Location: Rockefeller Center LEGO Store
Contact:

Post by JPinoy »

But we were the first sentient culture creating beings to do so. :P

Unless your an alien disguised as a human living amongst us.... :lol:
Peoples_General, master of the vast LEGO armies!
[url]http://www.bricklink.com/aboutMe.asp?u=Peoples_General[/url]
Behold! The mighty armies of my ORIGIN theme!
[url]http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.c ... lesGeneral[/url]
User avatar
ottoatm
Knight Templar
Knight Templar
Posts: 3013
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 4:52 am
Location: New York
Contact:

Post by ottoatm »

I haven't read this book, but I have to confess I'm a little skeptical about the idea. Much of what I read concerning China's exploration history (in western or eastern books) don't illustrate them as swashbuckling explorers. Still, it's a cool idea, and very possible - there's a lot of people in the country. :)
Knight Templar
n. pl. Knights Templars or Knights Templar
1.A member of an order of knights founded about 1118 to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land during the Second Crusade.

[url=http://legelot.50webs.com/mainPages/myStory.html]My Lego Stories: The Land of Legelot![/url]
[url=http://z13.invisionfree.com/Castle_World]CW-THE Lego Story Writer's Guild[/url]
User avatar
Dragonlord Esq.
Reeve
Posts: 499
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 7:41 am
Location: TX

Post by Dragonlord Esq. »

ottoatm wrote:Much of what I read concerning China's exploration history (in western or eastern books) don't illustrate them as swashbuckling explorers. Still, it's a cool idea, and very possible - there's a lot of people in the country. :)
I'm skeptical as well, but there was a lot of seafaring and exploring during the Ming dynasty, so it's possible.
User avatar
TwoTonic Knight
TwoTonic of Many Colors
Posts: 1815
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 11:33 pm
Location: The Lowest Pit of Megablocks

Post by TwoTonic Knight »

Gee, everybody edits out the most important part of my silly post ("I'm looking forward to the ship!").

Anyway, yes, Sin Bao is suspected as being the inspiration (in part) of Sindbad (using Burton's spelling).
Redwine the Ribald: Stare long enough into the abyss...
Two-Tonic Tippler: ...and you spit into it.

[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/corsair/C ... ippler.jpg[/img]
User avatar
JPinoy
Knight Bannerett
Posts: 2476
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2003 7:04 pm
Location: Rockefeller Center LEGO Store
Contact:

Post by JPinoy »

ottoatm wrote:I haven't read this book, but I have to confess I'm a little skeptical about the idea. Much of what I read concerning China's exploration history (in western or eastern books) don't illustrate them as swashbuckling explorers. Still, it's a cool idea, and very possible - there's a lot of people in the country. :)
If you mean swashbuckling as in going around conquering people.... thats not what China's sea voyages were for. And they're society had no need for things like slavery or colonization. All the explorations and voyages did was mainly show off China's vast army and gigantic ships. They then demanded tribute and recognition of China as the ultimate kingdom/empire on earth from the "barbarian cultures" that the Chinese fleets encountered.\

Besides, there's even a mention that the Chinese based their voyage routes on older maps. Maybe it was the Kahilawayans!!! :P
Peoples_General, master of the vast LEGO armies!
[url]http://www.bricklink.com/aboutMe.asp?u=Peoples_General[/url]
Behold! The mighty armies of my ORIGIN theme!
[url]http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.c ... lesGeneral[/url]
User avatar
TwoTonic Knight
TwoTonic of Many Colors
Posts: 1815
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 11:33 pm
Location: The Lowest Pit of Megablocks

Post by TwoTonic Knight »

JPinoy wrote:If you mean swashbuckling as in going around conquering people.... thats not what China's sea voyages were for....they then demanded tribute and recognition of China as the ultimate kingdom/empire on earth from the "barbarian cultures" that the Chinese fleets encountered.


Ahhhhh, it was mere extortion.
Besides, there's even a mention that the Chinese based their voyage routes on older maps. Maybe it was the Kahilawayans!!! :P
See below. 8)
Redwine the Ribald: Stare long enough into the abyss...
Two-Tonic Tippler: ...and you spit into it.

[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/corsair/C ... ippler.jpg[/img]
Post Reply