Greek Fire was not actually made by the Greek people, but that was what the Arabs called it. In an age still dominated by wood and sails, once fire ignited by Greek Fire met the wind over the sea, it would rapidly spread through a fleet, nearly wiping it out. Several caliphs had attacked Constantinople only to be driven back by this fire, much to the Byzantines' delight.
But if fire was properly controlled, it became a source of light. Many white paper lanterns had been arranged around the dungeon ballroom. Fine-brush paintings covered the paper exteriors, and thanks to magic, the birds and butterflies would fly from one lantern to another.
Goryeo had moon lanterns, their glow as white and lustrous as a new moon. It also had sun lanterns, lit from within by flame, turning an entire room red.
Stone lanterns began in the Han dynasty and flourished during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Many stone lanterns could be seen in temples, with oil lamps placed inside them. Their light varied in color depending on the stone, with Goryeo stone considered the finest. They were often called Zen lanterns and had nothing to do with weddings or funerals; they were commonly used by the monks who carved grotto temples.
During the High Tang, the overland Silk Road was dominant. As a distribution center and transit station for Silk Road trade, Sogdiana drew great numbers of people to trade and settle there. The Sogdians established many oasis city-states, yet never formed a unified nation, much like the city-states the Greek people built upon their islands.
Porcelain was heavy for camels. Though people called them ships of the desert, they were not real ships.
The Maritime Silk Road, meanwhile, needed heavy goods like porcelain as ballast. The remains of porcelain