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Louchuan (traditional Chinese:樓船;simplified Chinese:楼船;pinyin:lóuchuán;lit. 'tower ships') were a type of Chinese naval vessels, primarily a floating fortress, which have seen use since theHan dynasty. Meant to be a central vessel in the fleet, the louchuan was equipped for boarding and attacking enemy vessels, as well as with siege weapons includingtraction trebuchets for ranged combat.[1]
Historical records relating to the louchuan are found in sources such as the military treatiseWujing Zongyao, written during theSong dynasty, and theTaibai Yinjing from theTang dynasty. From the latter (as translated by British biochemist, sinologist, and historianJoseph Needham), the tower ships were described as:
Tower ships (lou chuan); these ships have three decks equipped with bulwarks for the fighting lines, and flags and pennants flying from themasts. There areports and openings forcrossbows andlances [and at the sides there is providedfeltleather to protect against fire], while (on thetopmost deck) there aretrebuchets for hurling stones, set up (in appropriate places). And there are also (arrangements for making)molten iron (for throwing in containers from these catapults). (The whole broadside) gives the appearance of a city wall. In theJin period the Prancing-Dragon Admiral,Wang Jun, invadingWu, built a great ship 200 paces (1000 ft.) in length, and on it set flying rafters and hanging galleries on which chariots and horses could go. But if [all of a sudden] a violent wind is encountered, (such ships are likely to) get out of human control, so they were judged inconvenient in practice [for warlike action]. But the fleet cannot fail to be furnished with such ships, in order that its overawing might may be perfected.[1]
The use of such ships in riverine warfare, especially along theYangtze River, stretches back to the late Han dynasty, and perhaps even earlier.
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