Late Tang Shipwreck in Vietnam Reveals Shift in Maritime Trade Routes

The Vietnam Binh Chau (Chau Tan) Late Tang Wreck

A shipwreck discovered off Binh Chau, Vietnam, in 2013 has yielded a cargo of Changsha, Yue, Xing-type, and Guangdong ceramics dating to the late 9th century. Unlike the earlier Belitung wreck, the ship was built using Southeast Asian techniques, and Arabic inscriptions on jars suggest Arab merchants were involved. The wreck's timbers and ceramics provide evidence that trade routes shifted to Vietnam after the Huang Chao Rebellion disrupted Guangzhou.