Chapter 17: The Xisha Inds


    The Xisha Inds, also known as Gem Inds, are one of the four major inds in the South China Sea. They consist of the Yongle Inds and the Xuande Inds. This group ofrge and small coral inds covers over a thirty thousand square kilometer sea area, and is beautiful and pure. [Note: Some people say there are more than five hundred thousand square kilometers.]


    (See the below map of the Xisha Inds, pointing out the route from Qinn Harbor to Yongxing Ind.)


    Xisha has been China''s territory since ancient times. The Old Book of Tang recorded that the Chinese government began to officially manage the waters south of Hainan Ind from the Tang Dynasty.


    In ancient times, this ce was called "A Thousand Miles of Changsha", and was the only route through the South China Sea. As early as the Sui Dynasty, China had sent envoys to Mysia through the South China Sea, and the Tang Dynasty monk Yijing (1) also passed through here on his way to India. Merchant ships loaded with ceramics, silk, and spices sailed by here, so it was also known as the Maritime Silk Road.


    Because its far from the maind and inessible to people, the sea around the Xisha Inds is very clean, with a maximum visibility of forty meters. It has several kilometers of coral reefs, which makes it an excellent diving area.


    From Wikipedia


    Our destination is Bowl Reef.


    (The map of the Xisha Inds is below, pointing out the route from Yongxing Ind to Bowl Reef)


    Ive looked for some information and found that there are many so-called Bowl Reefs in China, including Bohai Bay, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea. The main reason why its called Bowl Reef is simply because fishermen often fish out porcin bowls near these reefs.


    This is because most of the Bowl Reefs are submerged reefs that are located on the main sea routes. Most of the ancient shipwrecks are concentrated nearby, and arge amount of shipwreck materials are scattered. Based on this, I find that the name of the ancient reef is worthy of careful study. The only well-known ocean expedition I''ve heard of in China is Bowl Reef No.1 (2). Our destination this time will obviously be simr to that process.


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    TN Notes:


    (1) Yijing was a Tang-era Chinese Buddhist monk famed as a traveler and trantor. His ount of his travels is an important source for the history of the medieval kingdoms along the sea route between China and India. Wiki link


    (2) A ship sank near Fujian Province, and it was discovered in 2005. Experts spected that the sinking date of the ship was around the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. Lots of pieces of blue and while porcin were found. The ship was then called Bowl Reef No.1.


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    <strong><em><strong><em>Tranted by: Tiffany X</em></strong></em></strong>


    <strong><em><strong><em>Edited by: merebear226</em></strong></em></strong>