Ying Chuan (鷹船)

Note: This blog post was originally part of my Sha Chuan (沙船) article. However, after updating that article with additional information, I decided to separate this content into its own article.

Drawing of a Ying Chuan, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

The Ying Chuan (鹰船, lit. 'Eagle ship') was an unusual riverine warship that emerged from the shipyards around the estuary of the Yangtze River. Converted from a type of civilian ship known as Shuang Ta Chuan (雙塔船, lit. 'Double tower ship', Shuang Ta was the old name of Shangtazhen), differing in that Shuang Ta Chuan used yuloh whereas Ying Chuan used oars, it rose to prominence during Jia Jing Da Wo Kou (嘉靖大倭寇) period due to its utility in defending inland waterways against Wokou vessels that slipped pass larger naval warships like Fu Chuan (福船), with its use quickly spreading to Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang

Ying Chuan was a double-ended oared warship with no bow, two pointy, highly raised sterns with a rudder each, and an enclosed superstructure reinforced with bamboo palisade and planking, similar to that found on a Fu Chuan and was possibly modelled after it. Though not a particularly large warship, Ying Chuan was remarkably well-armed, carrying six Fo Lang Ji (佛狼機) cannons in addition to an assortment of other weapons like Pen Tong (噴筒), nearly matching the armament of some large Fu Chuan. Its robust protection and heavy firepower allowed it to serve not only as a mainline combat vessel but also as an assault ship specialised in cutting the enemy's line, allowing less protected warships like Sha Chuan to close in and exploit the disrupted formation.