Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c20.s2.24

v2.c20.s2.24

The accounts supplied by I-tsing give us a fair idea of the general trade-route followed in the seventh century A.D. After having left China the vessel touched at a port in Annam. It then proceeded to Śri-Vijaya, either by a direct voyage or by sailing along the coasts of Cambodia, Siam, and Malaya Peninsula. A third route was to proceed first to Java and then to Śri-Vijaya, though sometimes Java was reached from Śri-Vijaya. From Śri-Vijaya it proceeded to Malayu (Jambi) and then to either Kie-cha or Lang-kia-su in Malay Peninsula. From one of these ports it sailed either north-west for Tāmralipti in Bengal, or westwards for Negapatam in Madras, and then to Ceylon. Sometimes a direct voyage was made to Ceylon.