Zheng He's Voyages to the "Western Ocean"

From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He, a Chinese navigator, led a gigantic fleet on seven epic voyages to the "Western Ocean" (the Indian Ocean) and visited more than 30 countries and regions in Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and East Africa, which kicked off the Age of Discovery in the 15th century. At the time, Zheng He's fleet was unrivaled globally, but it never invaded or plundered anywhere. Instead, they communicated with all the countries and peoples along the way, treating them with courtesy and kindness. Zheng He's mission did more than convey friendly messages from China to other countries. It also helped local people build city walls and moats and fend off pirates as well as sharing advanced techniques such as shipbuilding, ox plowing, animal husbandry, rice planting, and cooking. On his fourth voyage, Zheng He passed the Arabian Peninsula and reached Africa for the first time, opening a sea trade route between China and Africa. His ships were loaded with Chinese porcelain, silk, and lacquerware, among others, which were immensely popular among the locals and became highly sought as symbols of wealth.

Zheng He's voyages to the "Western Ocean" were insurmountable in the history of ancient China in scale, number of ships, crew size, and duration. They were celebrated as milestones in world navigation history. They also helped forge friendly ties between China and Asian and African countries on political, cultural, and economic fronts. The expeditions helped others learn more about the Chinese people, and the Chinese people greatly broadened their horizons and acquired more knowledge of world geography. The peaceful connections established between ancient China, Asia, and Africa by the voyages paved the way for the Maritime Silk Road to boom for a long time.

鄭和下西洋

1405年至1433年，中國航海家鄭和率龐大船隊七次出使，造訪了東南亞、南亞、西亞、東非等地的三十多個國家和地區，拉開了15世紀世界“大航海”活動的序幕。盡管鄭和船隊是當時世界上最大的船隊，但他們并沒有侵占、掠奪，而是始終對沿線所有國家、民族以禮相待，友好交往。鄭和使團不僅傳遞國家之間的友好問候，還幫當地人建造城池、驅逐海盜，傳授造船、牛耕、畜牧、水稻種植、烹飪等先進技術。鄭和第四次下西洋航行時，首次繞過阿拉伯半島，抵達非洲，打通了中非之間的海路貿易。鄭和帶去的瓷器、絲綢、漆器等中國物產備受當地歡迎，一時間成為財富的象征。

鄭和下西洋是中國古代規模最大、船只和海員最多、時間最久的海上遠航活動，不僅締造了世界航海業發展的里程碑，而且為發展中國和亞非各國的政治、文化、經濟上的友好關系作出了卓越貢獻，增進了各國人民對中國的了解，也大大開闊了中國人的眼界，豐富了海外地理知識，建立了古代中國和亞非國家間的和平關系，使得海上絲綢之路得以暢通和綿延。