CHINA – Sino-Portuguese relations began when Jorge Álvares arrived in the southern city of Guangzhou in 1513. Around then, Portugal established trading activities in what is now known as Southern China, gradually expanded into Macau and paid rent to the Ming Empire.
The first official Portuguese visit was Fernão Pires de Andrade mission to Guangzhou (1517–1518) during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was fairly successful, and the local Chinese authorities allowed the embassy, led by Tomé Pires and brought by de Andrade’s flotilla, to proceed to Beijing. Tomé Pires’ impression of the Chinese was that they were “white like us [brancos como nós], the greater part of them dressing in cotton cloth and silk”.
The term ′China′ was actually employed in 1516 by the Portuguese travel writer Duarte Barbosa. Afterwards, the word ′China′ occurs in several languages: as China in Italy, as Chine in France, and in English as China.

JAPAN – In 1543, three Portuguese travelers aboard a Chinese ship drifted ashore on Tanegashima, a small island near Kyushu. They were the first Europeans to visit Japan. In 1548, Francis Xavier, a Jesuit, arrived from Goa with three Japanese Catholic converts to introduce Christianity to the Japanese intending to start a church in the Nagasaki area. Thereafter a stream of Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries came to Japan. The Japanese called them nanban (southern barbarians) because they sailed to Japan from the south. Portuguese merchants brought tin, lead, gold, silk, and wool and cotton textiles, among other goods, to Japan, which exported swords, lacquer ware, silk, and silver.

A Sea Odyssey 1415-1543 is a new album project by RochaMusicX, based on the sea exploration and discoveries of the Portuguese, started by Prince Henry the Navigator (Infante Dom Henrique). Portugal, one of the oldest nations of Europe became a great seaborn empire from their exploits during that time.

This single is exclusive only to YouTube.

Music Composed and Arranged by Paulo C. Rocha

Album art by Victor Rocha

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