Annex 8 – Evidence of the Voyages of Chinese Fleets visiting Paraguay, Argentina and the Falklands
1. Maps and star charts
- The Piri Reis (1513) clearly shows the Atlantic coast of South America
Drawings on the Piri Reis show animals of Patagonia drawn long before Europeans reached there.
2. Chinese Records and Claims
- Illustrated Record of Strange Countries (1430) showing armadillo (unique to S. America).
- The Complete Herb Book of China (1530) shows herbs unique to South America – Zhong Guo Ben Cao Quan Shu.
3. Accounts of contemporary European historians and Explorers
- Molina – ancestors of Chileans are Chinese.
- Legends of giants coming ashore on coast – Garcilaso de la Vega & Pedro de Cieza de Leon
4. Local peoples’ descriptions of Chinese or Asiatic peoples and their ancestors, who settled
amongst them before Europeans arrived
Further research needed
5. Linguistics and languages common to China and New World
- The wife of the personal physician of General Peron of Argentina is from a small village in Paraguay. She said that the phrase for “I love you” in her native language sounded very similar to the Chinese “wo ai ni” which has the same meaning. (Victor Chen)
- Mt Aconcagua (W. Argentina, nr the Chile boarder). In the southern Chinese Teochew dialect, it means “ My grandfather had taught me well!” Acong means grandfather – prounounced as Ah Kong; ca=ka means to teach/ taught; gua=me (Ng Kear Soon
6. Shipwrecks, Chinese anchors and fishing gear found in the wake of the treasure fleet
- The first Spanish to round the Horn found wrecked junks (Grotius) at Taroja (220 S.)
7. Chinese porcelain and ceramics found in the wake of the treasure fleet
Further research needed
8. Pre-Columbian Chinese jade found in the wake of the treasure fleet
Further research needed
9. Artefacts, gems, votive offerings, coins and funerary urns
Further research needed
10. Stone buildings, artefacts, canals and aqueducts
- Chinese inscribed stones between Mendoza and La Punta (Lats 330 – 34o S) and (ii) near Diamond River (Ranking).
11. Mining operations found by first Europeans when they reached the New World
Further research needed
12. Advanced technologies found by first Europeans on arrival in New World
Further research needed
13. Plants indigenous to one continent, found on another
- Rice fields found by the first Europeans to reach the Paraguay and Panama Rivers.
14. Animals indigenous to one continent, found on another
- Naitha cattle to La Plata (Banda oriental breed) – Jesuit history, Memoires sur les Chinois, 1786.
- Mylodon bones were discovered in Argentina in the early 1800s
15. Distinctive artwork carried from continent to continent
Further research needed
16. Customs and games exported from China to New World
- Custom of covering chicken heads (Molina ii 25) 1726.
- Lassos – same as in China (Molina ii 26).
- Quipus – as in China (Molina ii 26), and in Marquesas and Hawaii.
17. Armour, metal weapons and metal implements found in the New World
Further research needed
18. Trans-oceanic spread of diseases from one continent to another
- Diseases endemic to S E Asia but not to North America found in the Quechua and Toba people, viz. Tokelau, hepatitis B and hookworm/roundworm – diseases which could not have been carried across the Bering Straits on account of the bitter cold which would have killed off the diseases.
19. DNA studies and physical comparisons
- Principal DNA Report relied upon: Polymorphic Alu Insertions and the Asian Origin of Native American Populations, by Gabriel E Novick and colleagues (refer to Bibliography).
- Précis of the Report’s findings The results corroborate the Asian origin of Native American populations but do not support the multiple-wave migration hypothesis. Close similarity between the Chinese and Native Americans suggests recent gene flow from Asia.
- The Karaba tribe have Chinese features, skin, hands etc
20. Meteorological events and weather
Further research needed
21. Stars and navigation
Further research needed
View map: The Piri Reis map, The Cantino world map, The Waldseemüller map
