历史的大金门 or History of the Grand Golden Gate Dajinmen
The history of the Golden Gate Area stretches back thousands of years where various groups of native
Meiguo peoples, where the Yelamu were the most prominent of the Ohlone speaking people that made upmuch of the coastal area of central
Meiguo. The Yelamu lived in several villages in the Golden Bay area, trading with related peoples far into the inland and up the coast, it is quite evident that even they may have known of the prominent geographical area they occupied, this would prove provident to all the people that would call the Golden Bay home. The famous and infamous fog of the Golden Gate is known to have discouraged the finding of the Bay Area many times, with preserved native Meiguo peoples accounts as the fog having capabilities of totally causing the opeing to the Bay area to disappear, this would prove fruitful later on, especially the well known Ambush of Li Ping.
Perhaps if it had not been the
guidance of the Heavens or simple blind luck then the ships of Jin Ma may never have discovered the area! As accounts and myths go it was from seeing the reflected in the fog, golden hue of the surrounding hills, as they turn a color of the like during the dry summers or from other accounts following sea birds to their roosts or Yelamu fishermen. Whatever the case, in 1436 the modest fleet of Jin Ma discovered the entrance of the Golden Gate and in the spirit of Zheng He set down a small outpost, which would grow over the years to the largest city of the Western Hemisphere. Current to this period the power struggle between the Confucian scholars and the Merchants were ongoing, the expeditions of Zheng He had by this point established profitable relations of trade and established the Ming Tributary System, while no longer funded by the government the outlawing of building of ships, the proposed Haijin or Sea Ban order as advertised by many of the hardcore Confucian officials did not take place. As such the grand displaying and extremely costly voyages of Zheng He were over with many of his lieutenants heading much smaller and economically based voyages.
Jin Ma while under Zheng He's command, simply captained a supply vessel for the Equine Ships of the Treasure Fleets, but he had a family who had wealth and from his time in the navy gained insights to naval logstics. More then known as a 'eccentric' Jin Ma wished it is said to find the legendary Fusang, though his trips to the northeast were practical toward fur trading with the hunter-gathering Siberians of Eurasia's remote eastern coast. Whatever the point Jin Ma sailed and is internationally known as the Discoverer of Meiguo, or Americas to the Europeans. The dispute between who reached Meiguo first, between Jin Ma and Columbus finally being settled recently.
Once the Ming expedition entered the Golden Gate, possibilities of the usefulness of the Bay Area became abundant due to the nature of the geographical stronghold of the position. Their are no documents of tension between Jin Ma and the Yelamu inhabitants who appeared to be in awe of what had arrived in their home, and lacking the traits of land ownership the Chinese set up a camp near the Yelamu village of Amuctac which soon would totally overrun the native village by the 'visiting' Chinese. Jin Ma explored the extent of the Bay Area for a month, then southward for a ways before returning to China and leaving his son, Jin Peng in charge of the small settlement. His return would not be alone as Jin Ma returned not only with a bigger fleet with hundreds of sailors and workers but also envoys of the Ming Court who would go about gaining the 'loyalties' of the tribes, and in a small note while in the Golden Gate the envoys would be dissatisfied with the peoples discovered notes to the Emperor would remark favorably on the area (granted their disappointment would vanish with discovery of the Mexica).
Unfortunately, by 1440 the natives as far as the Mexica were shuddering with the effects of disease, thus leading to the Famous 'Goodwill' Missions of Jin Peng....