Junk
A junk (船, Teochew: zung5; Malay and Javanese: djong) is a type of ship of Chinese design. Its most distinctive feature is its fully battened tanja sails, but it is also characterized by a flat-bottomed hull, an overhanging transom for a stern, and bulkheads, which are wooden partitions within the hull that create watertight compartments.[1]
From its inception during the Song dynasty (960–1279), the junk was already robust enough for long-distance ocean travel. Later European ships took inspiration from its superior hull and sail designs.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
In 1526, the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun came across several junks while navigating Macau's port to reach the Chinese Templar Gu Dayong's stronghold, and boarded a few of them herself, scaling their masts to either survey the area or because all other paths ahead were blocked.[3][4][5] Most of these junks were later destroyed when the Templar Qiu Ju had Macau's port set ablaze in retaliation for Shao Jun's assassination of Gu Dayong.[6][7]
In 1725, a pirate band operating out of the Paracel Islands commandeered several junks, which they used to plunder European ships in the region. The British Assassin Edward Kenway and the members of his Zhang Wei Union later eliminated the pirates at the Dutch East India Company's request.[8] The Union then claimed the ships for themselves, including a large vessel they renamed the Fenghuang, which became their fleet's flagship.[9]
That same year, the Chinese businesswoman Madam Lee was in command of a large fleet made up of mostly junks, including some which had previously belonged to her rival Sun.[10] Captained by Admiral Zheng, this fleet pursued the Union members to the Philippines, where both factions searched for leads to a treasure allegedly located in the lost Khmer city in Angkor.[11] The fleet was later sunk near the coast of Indochina, after forming a naval blockade in an ultimately futile attempt to prevent the Union from reaching the mainland.[12]
The design of the Chinese junks inspired similar watercraft among various nations in Southeast Asia, including the canoe-like war junks employed by the Ayutthaya Kingdom. In 1725, two such junks were used by a band of Ayutthayan mercenaries recruited by Nagamasa to assist the Zhang Wei Union.[13]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Three pirate junks -
One of Madam Lee's junks -
An Ayutthayan junk
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ L. Pham, Charlotte Minh-Hà. (2012). Asian Shipbuilding Technology. Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, pp. 20–21. ISBN 978-92-9223-413-3.
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Database: Chinese Junks
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – The Port
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Port
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – The Slave Trader
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Consequences
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Consequences
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 29
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 30
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 49
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 47
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 118
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 107
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