Zheng He’s Voyages to the Western Seas

On the 11th day of the 7th lunar month of 1405,a huge fleet of 208 ships appeared on the blue seas of the earth. With more than 27,500 people aboard, it was the greatest fleet with the largest crews the world had ever seen. Carrying cargoes of porcelain, silk, tea, and numerous other treasures, the fleet navigated the South China Sea, passing through the Strait of Malacca, and traversing the Indian Ocean to arrive at countries on the coasts of Asia and Africa. Over the next 28 years, six more fleets of a similar scale, with crews totaling more than 100,000 people, left China for further voyages to the Western Seas and arrived in more than 30 countries along the way-“Western Seas”being the term used in ancient China to refer to the regions west of the South China Sea. In West Asia, they visited the holy city of Mecca; in Africa, they reached as far as the port of Beira(in present-day Mozambique).

The commander of the fleet was Zheng He(1371-1433), an important official in the court of Emperor Yongle(r.1403-1424) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Born to a Muslim family, Zheng He also believed in Buddhism and Mazu(Chinese goddess of the sea). Intelligent and knowledgeable about navigation, he was entrusted by the emperor to direct all seven adventurous missions.

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