The wugongchuan (蜈蚣船), or centipede ship, is a Chinese oared vessel of the 16th century inspired by the Portuguese galley. The defining characteristic of the wugongchuan is its numerous oars on its sides, evoking the image of a centipede, giving it its name. The wugongchuan was part of a series of Chinese experimentation with European ship designs of the period, as they attempted to fit onto their ships the new breech-loading swivel guns, also brought by the Portuguese. Until this time, oars in such numbers were rarely used in large Chinese crafts.