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The evolution of the European sailing ship is pretty well known, we know that when certain thresholds were reached (like multi-mast, carvel hull, lateen sail) certain things like the Age of Exploration could occur.

However, I struggle to find anything other the most superficial information on Chinese junks prior to the Keying's arrival in New York in 1846, when we learn that a 3 masted Junk 160ft long can sail from China to New York around Cape Horn.

All I can find are snippets of huge ships from Marco Polo, Ibn Bhutta and others, but Zheng He's Treasure ships size is disputed by Western experts who say how hard it is to build wooden ships longer than 200ft.

So what's the story? Were Zheng He's ships 400ft long? How big were ships before that, were stories of 4 masted ocean-going ships in the Song era true? Were Marco Polo and other descriptions just crap, akin to the Roc and other mythical beasts?

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