China was strong under the Han dynasty. The Emperor Wu Di built fishing vessels "more than 10 zhang [100 feet] long." These ships, called gu boats after the type of net they used for catching large fish, constituted the first high seas fishing fleet.
漢朝國力強盛，武帝統一鐵的生產，造出「高十餘丈」的漁船，出現「罛者舟之」的外海捕撈作業，「罛」是一種專捕鱣、鱘鰉大型魚類的大網。