For geographic reasons Penghu was already a key point in shipping lanes by the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Scholars note that the sea lanes around Penghu were heavily used even in the late 13th and early 14th centuries (the Song and Yuan dynasties), when overseas trading flourished along China's southeast coast.
澎湖在文獻記載中，明朝時已為海上航路必經之地。但根據歷史學者推測，這條航路的頻繁利用應在宋元之間，當時已在大陸東南沿岸蓬勃發展的對外貿易活動，是否有可能以澎湖作中繼點？