Ocean, the Mankinds Cradle

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The great navigator Zheng He
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Zheng He (1371-1433) Navigator and Diplomat of
Ming Dynasty Chinas most famous maritime
explorer.
Seven voyages
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Zheng He was born in Kunyang, Yunnan around 1371
AD, the fourth year of the Hongwu reign period (
1371 AD) of the Ming Dynasty. He was originally
surnamed Ma, and later was known as San Bao (Thr
ee Treasures). Raised a Muslim, Zheng
He started to study the teachings of Islam at an
early age. Both Zheng He's father and grandfather
had made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and so were q
uite familiar with distant lands. Listening
to his father and grandfather's stories, the
young Zheng He developed a consuming curiosity a
bout the outside world.
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Zheng He's extraordinary ability and vision found
brilliant expression in the great achievements of
his life, including maritime exploration, foreign
diplomacy, and military affairs. Zheng He's
western voyages clearly indicate that he is
worthy of being called China's most famous
maritime explorer.
This picture shows Zheng Hes birthplace
in Kunming, Yunnan.  

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Prior to the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 AD), China'
s navigators were essentially limited to followi
ng coastal routes. Zheng He's fleets pioneered
numerous new maritime routes, amassing extens
ive navigational experience. The breakthroughs
made by Zheng He brought China to the forefro
nt of world navigation.
This picture shows the routes of Zheng He's
western voyages.
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The new sea routes pioneered by Zheng He during
his seven voyages formed a comprehensive maritime
transport network and established a solid founda
tion for future generations of seafarers.
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During the 28 years between 1405 and 1433, Zheng
He's fleets set sail seven times,
with virtually no rest between voyages. Calling
at ports from Southeast Asia to East Africa, Z
heng He solidified China's political and economi
c relations with countries and regions large an
d small.
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The ancient kingdom of Aden was located in
present-day Aden, Yemen. The Ming Dynasty
initiated formal trade relations with Aden in the
14th year of the Yongle reign period (1416 AD).
The ruler of Aden presented a giraffe to the Ming
emperor, which was thought to be a qilin, an
auspicious animal of Chinese legend.
This famous picture depicts the qilin given as
tribute.

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Ming Dynasty China had the most advanced
shipbuilding industry in the world. Each of Zhen
g He's western voyages launched a fleet more
than 60 mid-size, large, and gigantic "treasure
ships." His largest ship was 44 zhang (approxima
tely 140 meters) long and 18 zhang
(approximately 57 meters) wide. It has been
estimated that the treasure ships were capable o
f carrying an average of 1500 tons.
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Comparing the Fleets of East and West   Zhe
ng He's fleets were several dozen times larger
than those of Columbus and Da Gama, as were his
individual ships and crews. The ships' loading c
apacities and the range of their voyages were
also much greater than those of the later
European explorers.   In comparison, Columbus's f
irst voyage from Spain to the Americas
in 1492 consisted of only three ships. The
largest of these, the Santa Maria, could carry 1
20 tons, and was a mere 34 meters long.
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Columbus's two smaller ships, were capable of ca
rrying only 50 and 60 tons respectively. Columbu
s's largest fleet consisted of 17 ships,
of which the largest had a loading capacity of
approximately 200 tons, still a far from Zheng H
e's fleets. Vasco Da Gama's 1497 expedition to t
he west coast of Africa, Europe's
most advanced fleet at the time, consisted of
only four new ships. The flagship was only 80 fe
et (24 meters) long, with a loading capacity of
approximately 120 tons. Da Gama's largest fleet
was composed of 20 ships. In 1519, Magellan circ
umnavigated the globe with a fleet of five
sailing ships, of which the largest, the San
Antonio, had a loading capacity of 120 tons, and
the smallest, the Santiago, carried only 75 tons.
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Zheng Hes archaized treasure ship
Sep. 24th, 2006 Inauguration of Zheng He's tr
easure ship was held in the shipyard site of Na
njing?

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Zheng Heocean going training ship
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Introduction
Zheng He training ship, Chinas first
oceangoing navigation training ship
Built in Shanghai Qiuxin Shipyard April 198
9 and December 1990 respectively, visited Hawaii
in the United States and Thailand.
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Features
Displacement 6103 tons Main dimensions lengt
h 132.07m, width 15.8m, draft 4.8m
Power 2 diesel engine, 2 axle, 7,200 horsepower
Speed 17 knots
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Conclusion
Zheng He was one of the greatest maritime
explorers in the history of the world. His
western voyages impelled humanity to new
levels and represent a milestone in the
development of human civilization.
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Thank you! Conan Yue DMU