China is so powerful in history, why hasn't it been able to get through the Indian Ocean?

From the map, China is not far from the Indian Ocean, and the nearest straight-line distance from Nongdao Town, Ruili City, Yunnan Province is about 600 kilometers. This is still the distance now. Myanmar and Yunnan are very similar in terms of climate and geography. Many people say that China is a farming civilization. In fact, Myanmar is also a farming civilization. It is no different from Yunnan. Moreover, many ethnic groups in this area are transnational, and there are no ethnic contradictions. There are millions of descendants of Han immigrants in Myanmar. But why didn't China include Myanmar in its jurisdiction? Why didn't you reach the Indian Ocean?

Map of yuan dynasty

Yunnan really became a central jurisdiction from the Yuan Dynasty. Previously controlled by ethnic groups, such as Nanzhao State and Dali State. The Yuan Dynasty has always been regarded by many people as the largest dynasty in China. However, Yunnan controlled by the Yuan Dynasty is about 500 kilometers away from the Indian Ocean. 1277, the Yuan Dynasty went to war with Myanmar, and Kublai Khan led an army to attack the Bagan Dynasty in Myanmar. The war ended with the victory of the Yuan Army and the Bagan Dynasty becoming a vassal state of the Yuan Dynasty. Only in this way, the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty did not include Myanmar in their own ruling areas.

Map of Yunnan in Ming Dynasty

Judging from the map of Yunnan in the Ming Dynasty, the actual jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty was only about 300 kilometers away from the Indian Ocean. After the Ming Dynasty pacified Yunnan, various measures and even war measures were taken, and the territory of the southwest frontier was greatly expanded. But I still haven't reached the Indian Ocean. Close at hand, I sigh at the sea.

Map of Yunnan in Qing Dynasty

In the Qing dynasty, the distance widened again, almost the same as now. About 600 kilometers.

/kloc-in the winter of 0/762, the Qing dynasty and the Burmese pound dynasty fought for the control of territory and resources in the border areas. Historically, it was called the Qing-Burma War. Seven years later, although the Qing Dynasty achieved Myanmar's nominal submission, it only gained face, not an inch of land, and suffered heavy losses. The number of casualties exceeded 10 thousand. Among the "peerless martial arts" of Emperor Qianlong, the Burma War is also the only one that is controversial. In his later years, Emperor Qianlong said: "It took more than 50 years and eight wars to levy Burma, but it was unsuccessful."

We should be able to understand why China didn't reach the Indian Ocean. The reason is that you can't beat others Many people will ask, in ancient China, there were so many armies and hundreds of thousands of people participated in countless wars. The northern minorities are so tough that they can win the battle. Why can't they even beat a small border country? The reason still lies in the lack of understanding of the ocean. In ancient China, the sea was banned many times. The ocean is dispensable for the rulers of China, but the land in the Central Plains cannot be lost. Therefore, a large number of elite soldiers fought in the west and north to resist foreign invasion. The south was originally a smoky place, and the court did not pay enough attention to it. In this way, we have one less port to the Indian Ocean, which is a pity. If the Indian Ocean can go to sea, who can stop it?