Records indicate that as early as the Chin-Han Dynasties the South China Sea was already well documented. It was then known as “Jhanghai” though little was known about the actual area itself. It was considered a dangerous region to navigate as it had many hidden reefs and shoals. In the thousand years between the Han Dynasty and the Song Dynasty shipbuilding had advanced to the level where ships capable of long voyages through the South China Sea could be built. By the Jin Dynasty China’s sea routes had extended to Southeast Asia’s Indochina peninsula, Java and Borneo, with ships journeying through the South China Sea to reach as far as the Indian Ocean.

　　During the Song and Yuan Dynasties more descriptions of the South China Sea islands began to appear in records, with an increasing number of areas named, islands acquiring their own identities, navigators recording their own experiences in the area, imperial emissaries dispatched aboard fleets to among other things demonstrate their dominion over the waters and observe the South China Sea’s environment.

　　Due to advances made in navigation during the Song-Yuan Dynasties the Ming Dynasty was even more active in the South China Sea. Specialized marine charts such as the “Sea Route Guide” and “Cheng He Navigation Chart” were compiled recording the routes and headings. The rapid developments in sailing technology also led to the discovery of more unnamed islands and shoals in the South China Sea. With the names assigned to islands in the South China Sea during the Song-Yuan Dynasties running out, islands began to be named after imperial calendar titles or people – for example, the “Yungle Islands”, the “Hsuante Islands”, the ”Chinghung Island” and the “Chenghe Shoal”… This showed the great importance the Ming Dynasty placed on the development of the South China Sea islands and the intensity of their maritime endeavors.

　　During the dynasties of Song, Yuan and Ming the Chinese people’s mastery of sailing techniques in the South China Sea led to their outwards expansion. Trade was one of the factors that drove this growth. Through increasing familiarity with the South China Sea islands and the growing population pressures that existed along the southeast coast at the time, the people began to think about developing and exploiting the resources in the region. As the region consisted mainly of islands, the majority of settlers naturally came from fishing communities.