At the end of the 13th century, the travels of the Venetian merchant Marco Polo described the East as a land of wealth and prosperity full of gold, which triggered an upsurge in the West to search for gold in the East. However, the rise of the Ottoman Turkish Empire controlled the main transportation routes between the East and the West, and arbitrarily imposed taxes and extortion on merchants passing through the border. Coupled with war and plunder by pirates, trade between the East and the West was seriously hindered. By the 15th century, Portugal and Spain had completed the process of political unification and centralization, and they regarded the opening of new routes to the East as an important source of income. In this way, the merchants and feudal lords of the two countries became the world's first colonial navigators.

Portugal navigator Batro Miu Dias (circa 1450 - 1500) accepted the order of King John II of Portugal and set out from Lisbon in August 1487, leading two galleys carrying 100 tons each heading south along the west coast of Africa. On March 12, 1488, they carved the name of King John II of Portugal, as well as the Portugal coat of arms, crosses, etc. on the cliff rocks at the southernmost tip of Africa to commemorate the discovery. In December 1488, the fleet returned safely to Lisbon after a year and five months of sailing. This is a breakthrough for the Portugal people to explore new routes. The king of Portugal realized the importance of discovering the southern tip of Africa and had hope in the east, so he named it the Cape of Good Hope. Dias was commended by the king.

In 1497, Dias was ordered by King Manuel I to lead four large ships on a long voyage again. He circled the ancient coast of Africa, conducting colonial trade and developing gold export ports along the way. On May 12, 1500, the fleet saw a comet at sea. The superstitious crew thought this was a sign of disaster and couldn't help but lose color. There is no coincidence without a book. On May 24, the fleet encountered an Atlantic hurricane on the ocean near the Cape of Good Hope. Four large ships were capsized by the surging waves, and Dias and his companions were buried on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. However, new shipping routes have been opened, and Western colonial forces have since extended from Africa to Asia.