Junk (ship) facts for kids

A junk from the 13th Century, Song Dynasty

A junk is a special kind of sailing ship that comes from China. These amazing boats have been used for a very long time, even as far back as the 2nd century AD! They became very popular and improved a lot during the Song Dynasty (960–1279).

The first mentions of junks go back to the Han Dynasty (220 BCE-200 CE). Over time, junks changed and got better. They were used for long trips across the ocean all over Asia. Today, you can still see junks, and many modern sailboats even use a similar design called a "junk rig."

History of Junks

Junks were first developed in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1129). They were used as early as the 2nd century for sea travel. These ships became common throughout Southeast Asia and India. They were most famous in China, especially around Hong Kong.

Why Junks Are Great Ships

Junks are known for being one of the most efficient ship designs. This means they work very well for their purpose.

Simple Design

The way a junk's sails are set up, called a "junk rig," is quite simple. This makes them easy to build and take care of. It also makes them easy to handle, even with only a few people on board.

Safety at Sea

One of the best things about junks is how safe they are. Their simple design makes it easy to adjust the sails in bad weather. This is called "reefing." It means sailors don't have to spend much time on the deck when storms hit, which keeps them safer.

Lower Costs

Because junks are simple to build, they cost less money to make. They are also easier to fix if something breaks. This makes them a good choice for long journeys.

Different Kinds of Junks

The word junk can describe many types of boats. Some are big ships that travel across oceans. Others are used for carrying cargo, or even as pleasure boats for fun. Some people even live on them, like a houseboat.

Junks come in many different sizes. Their sails and overall design can also vary a lot depending on where they were built. However, all junks share one important feature: they use sails that have many stiff supports called "battens." These battens help the sails keep their shape.

Images for kids

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  Junks in Guangzhou, China by Lai Afong

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  A modern junk in La Rochelle in 2009

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  The Bedar Naga Pelangi, after her circumnavigation sailing off Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia in 1998

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  The Kangxi Emperor (r. 1654–1722) on a tour, seated prominently on the deck of a junk ship

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  Junk near Hong Kong, circa 1880

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  Illustration of a jong, large Javanese trading vessel, extant until 17th century CE. Shown with the characteristic tanja sail of Southeast Asian Austronesians. Vessels like these became the basis of Southern Chinese junks.

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  Detail of a ship on Along the River During Qingming Festival, by Zhang Zeduan (1085–145)

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  A large four masted junk from Longjiang shipyard, the same shipyard that built the Chinese treasure ships.

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  Cropped portion of Indian Ocean in the Miller Atlas, showing 2 jongs, one is a 6-masted ship viewed from aft, the other is a 7-masted ship. The sails featuring crescent moons suggests that these jong hailed from one of the Islamic sultanates of Indonesia.

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  Ships of the world in 1460, according to the Fra Mauro map. Chinese junks are described as very large, three or four-masted ships.

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  A junk Sin Tong Heng and a lorcha Tek Hwa Seng in the Dutch East Indies (1936)

See also

In Spanish: Junco (embarcación) para niños