Rafael Perestrello

Rafael Perestrello was a Portuguese explorer known as the second European to reach the southern mainland of China by sea and trade in Guangzhou (Canton). He was descendent of an old Italian Piacenza family and a cousin of the Columbus’ wife.

Perestrello served as naval captain under Jorge de Albuquerque, the Portuguese governor of recently conquered Malacca whose aim was to establish control over the spice trade route. In 1515 Albuquerque sent Perestrello at the head of 3 junks to China, at the time ruled by the Ming emperor Zhengde, to secure trading relations between these two nations. He made a very handsome profit trading in Canton and returned to Malacca with the news that “the Chinese desired peace and friendship with Portuguese, and that they were a good people”. The success of his expedition served as an incentive for other similar enterprises