Naval History of China

In this episode, we trace the sweeping naval history of China, from ancient coastal defense and river warfare to the height of Ming dynasty maritime power and the famed treasure voyages. We explore how Chinese shipbuilders advanced nautical technology with innovations like watertight hull compartments, specialized combat ships, and paddle-wheel propulsion, while also examining how shifting imperial priorities caused naval strength to rise, stagnate, and decline. The episode follows China’s vulnerability during the Opium Wars, its later efforts to modernize with Western-style warships, and the enduring legacy of this maritime past in the rise of today’s People’s Liberation Army Navy as a major global naval force.