Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s1.25

v1.c5.s1.25

During this period, trade between the coastal regions of east and south China and the coastal regions of India expanded greatly with many merchant ships plying to and fro. Among the many foreign merchants gathered at that time in the large Chinese ports like Guangzhou and Quanzhou, there were many Indian merchants. Many Chinese merchants also sailed to India in this period, particularly to South India, although it appears that they were mostly sojourners who moved back and forth from their bases in Southeast Asia rather than settlers. These features point to the convenience of sea transportation and to the advanced nature of trade between India and China at this time.