124 Boundaries and Beyond
In 1547, there were Portuguese ships coming to trade with their
merchandise in Wuyu (near Amoy). Traders from Zhang[zhou]
and Quan[zhou] hastily went to do business with them. Coastal
Surveillance Vice-Commissioner Ke Qiao, Zhangzhou Prefect Lu Bi
and the Longxi Magistrate, Lin Song, sent troops to attack them but
failed. This led to more intensive trade [later]. At this time, newly
appointed Ofβicer-in Charge of [Min-Zhe] Coastal Defense ... Zhu
Wan enforced the sea prohibition and [later] captured more than
ninety smugglers.^121The sequence of events in the entry suggests that the commotion
occurred before Zhu Wan’s adoption of more stringent measures against
the smuggling trade, imposed after his arrival.
Another important source only causes further confusion. It is a letter
by Lin Xiyuan written shortly after a “second” clash occurred off the
southern Fujian coast between Chinese troops and the Portuguese. Lin
Xiyuan was a very inβluential member of the gentry in southern Fujian.
By this time he had retired to his home province, retaining the title of
Assistant Commissioner without a posting. During or shortly after his
inspection tour in southern Fujian at the end of 1547 and the beginning
of 1548, Zhu Wan memorialized the Court and accused Lin of building
large ships in breach of maritime regulations. The ships were disguised
as ferry-boats, but were actually being used to transport contraband
goods or loot seized by pirates, and also to trade with the Portuguese
on their annual visits to the southern Fujian coast, where prosperous
port cities such as Anhai in Quanzhou and Yuegang in Zhangzhou, and
such notorious smuggling centers as Yunxiao, Zhao’an and Meiling
were located.^122
Lin was understandably opposed to the use of force against the
Portuguese. He said that the importation of spices, drugs and aromatics
was not prohibited in Guangzhou and the Folangji brought these much
sought-after commodities. Moreover, the local people were keen on
this trade that generated great proβits, and the Portuguese did not
cause trouble, and had even helped the authorities to suppress piracy.
Therefore, he argued, they should be accepted as merchants.^123
Lin Xuyuan was certainly not a principled advocate for an “open-port
policy”, nor was he necessarily pro-Portuguese, as suggested by Fujida
- Zhangzhou fuzhi 漳州府志 [Gazetteer of Zhangzhou Prefecture] (1573), 12:
13a‒b. - MJSWB, 205/ l: 7b‒9b.
- Ibid., 165/4: 5a‒6a.
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