Wang Dayuan

Wang Dayuan (simplified Chinese: 汪大渊, fl. 1311–1350) was a traveller from Quanzhou, China during the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century. He made two major trips on ships. During 1328–1333, he sailed along the South China Sea and visited many places in Southeast Asia and reached as far as South Asia, landing in Bengal, Sri Lanka and India. In 1334–1339 he visited north Africa and East Africa.^[1]

Around 1330, Wang visited the island of Singapore, where he wrote about a small settlement called Dan Ma Xi (淡马锡, from Malay Temasek) with Malay and Chinese residents. His account of his travel, Daoyi Zhilüe Guangzheng Xia^[2] (Daoyi Zhilüe), dated 1349, is one of the few records documenting the early history of Singapore.

References

1. W.W. Rockhill tr.Description of the Barbarians of the Isles T’oung Pao 1913
2. The Ethnic Chinese in the Asian States