Scenario: You are a merchant in ancient China who is involved in trading porcelain. You have noticed an
increase in demand for porcelain goods in Europe. Because you need to transport more porcelain to
Europe, you are considering using ships instead of the land route. Shipping has become more reliable
since the invention of the magnetic compass, but it is still dangerous and expensive. You can only
transport goods once per year using ships. You have been using a land caravan to transport your
porcelain for years. You can send three shipments overland each year, but land shipment takes twice
as long. What transportation will you decide to use?

Describe the costs of transporting porcelain by land or by sea in ancient China. In other
words, what are the drawbacks of each method of transportation?