The English name Junk comes from Javanese jong (Malay: adjong), meaning ‘ship' or ‘large vessel'.

Junk n. A Chinese flat-bottom ship with a high poop and battened sails. [Portuguese junco or Dutch jonk , both from Javanese djong , variant of djung , from Old Javanese jong , sea-going ship .]

Junks were originally developed during the Han Dynasty (220 BC – 200 AD) and further evolved to represent one of the most successful ships in history.

A Junk is easy to sail, and fast. Unlike a traditional square rigged ship the sails of a Junk can be moved inward, toward the axis of the ship, allowing the Junk to sail into the wind. The sails of a Junk have much in common with the most aerodynamically efficient sails used today in windsurfers or catamarans, although their design can be traced back as early as the 2 nd century AD. Flags were hung from the masts of a Junk to bring good luck and women to the sailors on board.

Chinese legend speaks of a dragon that lived in the clouds - when angry it created typhoons, so bright flags, often red, with Chinese writing on them were hung from the masts of a Junk to please the dragon.

The largest Junks were built in the 1400s for world exploration, and were over 400 feet in length ~ 40 feet longer then a modern day NFL football field.

Admiral Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty explored the Indian Ocean with his vast fleet of Junks. His 1405 expedition consisted of 27,000 men and 317 ships. With over 300 Junks in his fleet, Admiral Zheng He had Treasure ships, Supply ships, Troop transports, Fuchuan warships, patrol boats and water tankers with him on expeditions.

Junks were capable of carrying 500 to 1,000 passengers; navigators, explorers, sailors, doctors, workers and soldiers accompanied mariners on their explorations. Lower decks of a Junk were separated into several compartments, so that if one was disturbed during a storm that others would remain intact. According to Chinese sources, Junks were navigated without a compass because they had an astrologer who stood with an astrolabe in hand and gave orders to the navigator.

The great Chinese mariner Zheng He sailed from China throughout the South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and distant Africa from 1405 to 1433, some 80 years before Columbus's voyages. Chinese explorer Zheng He's Treasure ship was 400 ft. long, over 300 ft. longer then the 85 ft. St. Maria that Columbus used to sail to America. It has been controversially argued that the fleet of Chinese explorer Zheng He landed on the islands of Florida coast more than half a century before Christopher Columbus. Zheng He (1371-1435) is arguably China's most famous navigator. He travelled more than 50,000 km. and visited over 30 countries, including seven explorations to the West. The explorations of Chinese explorer Zheng He were often for peaceful diplomacy and trade. The vast fleet and immense size of the Junks were frightening enough that they seldom needed to fight. Chinese fleet admiral Zheng He liberally dispensed Chinese gifts of silk, porcelain and other goods during his travels. In return he received presents that included African zebras and giraffes.

The naval history of China dates back thousands of years, with archives existing since 722 BC to 481 BC about the ancient navy of China and the various ship types used in war.

Medieval Chinese Junks were split in to bulkhead sections so that a hull rupture only flooded a fraction of the ship and did not necessarily sink it – such innovations were not incorporated by other navies until the 18 th Century.

The fleet and voyages commanded by the imperial eunuch Zheng He were undertaken to force the states of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean to acknowledge the power and the majesty of Ming China and its Emperor.

At 440 ft. long and 180 ft. wide, Junks built in the 1400s dwarfed the ships of European explorers that would enter the waters an entire century later.

The size of the Ming fleet of Junks (1405) was on par with the Spanish Armada of 1588.

The size of the Ming fleet of Junks (1405) was on par with the combined English, Spanish and French forces that met at the Battle of Trafalgar 400 years after the launch of the Chinese fleet.