In today’s reading, we’ll tackle a passage inspired by the Wikipedia entry that describes the Strait of Hormuz (霍尔木兹海峡). This read doesn’t get into the politics of the current US-Iran clash over the strait, or discuss current events. Instead, it just describes the geography of the strait, how much oil passes through it, and includes some historical information about Chinese exploration of and trade with the region. This read is packed full of both modern and ancient proper nouns, facts, and figures, ideal for those who want to practice reading Chinese-language news about current events, or those practicing academic reading at a high level.
Key vocab
咽喉要冲 – yān hóu yào chōng – strategic chokepoint; vital passage
蕴藏 – yùn cáng – to contain; to hold in store
液化天然气 – yè huà tiān rán qì – liquefied natural gas (LNG)
飞地 – fēi dì – exclave; enclave
贸易枢纽 – mào yì shū niǔ – trade hub; commercial center
殖民势力 – zhí mín shì lì – colonial power
使节 – shǐ jié – envoy; diplomatic mission
垄断 – lǒng duàn – to monopolize
首屈一指 – shǒu qū yī zhǐ – second to none; the best
霍尔木兹海峡是连接波斯湾与阿曼湾的狭长水道，亦是波斯湾通往外海的唯一海上通道，素有”世界油库总阀门”之称。海峡北岸为伊朗伊斯兰共和国领土，设有重要港口阿巴斯港；南岸则为阿曼苏丹国的飞地穆桑代姆省以及阿拉伯联合酋长国。海峡全长约167公里（90海里），宽度介于39公里（21海里）至97公里（52海里）之间，最窄处仅约33公里。海峡中部偏近伊朗一侧有格什姆岛，为波斯湾内最大的岛屿，隶属伊朗。
战略地位
因波斯湾沿岸诸国蕴藏有全球最为丰富的石油与天然气资源，霍尔木兹海峡遂成为世界能源运输的咽喉要冲，其战略地位之重要，在全球海上贸易通道中首屈一指。2025年，每日平均约有2,000万桶原油及成品油经此海峡运输，约占全球石油海运贸易量的四分之一，相当于全球石油液体消费量的五分之一。沙特阿拉伯为经由该海峡出口原油最多的国家，约占海峡原油总流量的38%；其余出口国包括伊拉克、科威特、阿联酋、卡塔尔及伊朗。卡塔尔与阿联酋出口的液化天然气中，分别有约93%和96%须经此海峡运往国际市场，合计约占全球液化天然气贸易量的五分之一。
海峡所输出的石油主要流向亚洲市场，中国、印度、日本及韩国为四大主要进口国，合计接收了经此海峡原油流量的约69%；其中仅中国一国，约有三分之一的石油供应须经霍尔木兹海峡输入。绕行霍尔木兹海峡的替代路线极为有限：目前仅沙特阿拉伯的东西输油管道（Petroline）与阿联酋的阿布扎比输油管道（ADCOP）具备绕行能力，两者合计备用产能约为每日三至五百万桶，远不足以弥补海峡一旦关闭所造成的运输缺口。正因如此，该海峡航运之通畅与否，直接关乎全球能源安全与经济稳定。
历史沿革
霍尔木兹海峡连通波斯湾与印度洋，自古即为东西方贸易往来之要津。13世纪末，威尼斯共和国旅行家马可·波罗曾取道此地归国，并在其游记中有所记载。14世纪中叶以降，霍尔木兹王国（即中国古籍所载之”忽鲁谟斯”或”忽鲁谟厮”）崛起于海峡之畔，逐渐垄断了波斯湾湾口的贸易进出，成为印度洋与西亚大陆之间重要的商贸枢纽。
明代永乐、宣德年间，三宝太监郑和率领宝船舰队七下西洋。自永乐十一年至十三年（1413—1415年）的第四次航行起，船队首次抵达位于波斯湾湾口的忽鲁谟斯王国，此后每次远航皆必到此地。据随行通事马欢所著《瀛涯胜览》及费信所著《星槎胜览》载，忽鲁谟斯”国民皆富”，市肆繁荣，为西洋诸番之大国。《明史》更誉其为”西洋大国”，永乐、宣德两朝明廷与忽鲁谟斯王国交往甚密，使节往来频繁。时忽鲁谟斯处于以波斯语为通用语言的帖木儿帝国势力范围之内，帖木儿本人素有重建蒙古大业之志，曾多次扣押明朝使节，并筹划东征明朝，惟最终病逝于途中而作罢。故明初与帖木儿帝国及其属邦之间的外交往来，于中外关系史上具有深远意义。
16世纪初，葡萄牙人东来，霍尔木兹王国于1507年为阿方索·德·阿尔布克尔克所征服，自此海峡落入欧洲殖民势力之掌控，直至17世纪方由波斯萨非王朝收复。
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, and is the only maritime passage from the Persian Gulf to the open sea, earning it the nickname ‘the master valve of the world’s oil reserves.’ The northern shore belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran, where the important port of Bandar Abbas is located; the southern shore comprises the Musandam Governorate, an exclave of the Sultanate of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. The strait is approximately 167 kilometers (90 nautical miles) long, with a width ranging from 39 kilometers (21 nautical miles) to 97 kilometers (52 nautical miles), narrowing to only about 33 kilometers at its narrowest point. In the central part of the strait, closer to the Iranian side, lies Qeshm Island, the largest island in the Persian Gulf, which belongs to Iran.
Strategic Importance
Because the countries along the Persian Gulf possess the world’s richest oil and natural gas resources, the Strait of Hormuz has become a critical chokepoint for global energy transportation, with its strategic importance ranking first among all maritime trade routes worldwide. In 2025, an average of approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products are transported through this strait daily, accounting for about one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade and equivalent to one-fifth of global petroleum liquid consumption. Saudi Arabia is the largest crude oil exporter through this strait, accounting for approximately 38% of the strait’s total crude oil flow; other exporting countries include Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran. Approximately 93% of Qatar’s and 96% of the UAE’s liquefied natural gas exports must pass through this strait to reach international markets, together accounting for about one-fifth of global LNG trade.
The oil transported through the strait primarily flows to Asian markets, with China, India, Japan, and South Korea being the four major importing countries, collectively receiving approximately 69% of the crude oil flowing through this strait. China alone depends on the Strait of Hormuz for about one-third of its oil supply. Alternative routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz are extremely limited: currently, only Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline (Petroline) and the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) have bypass capability, with a combined spare capacity of approximately 3 to 5 million barrels per day – far insufficient to compensate for the transportation gap that would result if the strait were closed. For this reason, whether shipping through this strait remains unimpeded directly affects global energy security and economic stability.
Historical Development
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean and has been a vital hub for East-West trade since ancient times. At the end of the 13th century, the Venetian traveler Marco Polo passed through this area on his return journey and recorded it in his travelogue. From the mid-14th century onward, the Kingdom of Hormuz (referred to in ancient Chinese texts as ‘Hulumosi’ or ‘Hulumosi’) rose along the strait, gradually monopolizing trade at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and becoming an important commercial hub between the Indian Ocean and the West Asian continent.
During the Yongle and Xuande periods of the Ming Dynasty, Admiral Zheng He led his treasure fleet on seven voyages to the Western Seas. Starting from the fourth voyage between 1413 and 1415, the fleet first reached the Kingdom of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and every subsequent voyage included this destination. According to ‘The Overall Survey of the Ocean’s Shores’ by the interpreter Ma Huan and ‘The Overall Survey of the Star Raft’ by Fei Xin, who accompanied the voyages, Hormuz was described as a place where ‘all the people are wealthy,’ with thriving markets, and was considered a great nation among the foreign lands of the Western Seas. The ‘History of Ming’ further praised it as ‘a great nation of the Western Seas.’ During the Yongle and Xuande reigns, the Ming court maintained close relations with the Kingdom of Hormuz, with frequent exchanges of envoys. At that time, Hormuz was within the sphere of influence of the Timurid Empire, where Persian served as the lingua franca. Timur himself harbored ambitions of rebuilding the Mongol Empire, repeatedly detained Ming envoys, and planned an eastern expedition against the Ming Dynasty, though he ultimately died en route. Thus, the diplomatic exchanges between the early Ming Dynasty and the Timurid Empire and its vassal states hold profound significance in the history of Sino-foreign relations.
In the early 16th century, the Portuguese arrived in the East, and the Kingdom of Hormuz was conquered by Afonso de Albuquerque in 1507. From then on, the strait fell under the control of European colonial powers until it was recovered by Persia’s Safavid Dynasty in the 17th century.
