Famous Explorers: Zheng-He
By Nate Wong , 01 May 2022
Source: YouTube
About
- Zheng He is a famous Asian explorer from China.
- Represented Emperor Yong Le, third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, overseas during diplomatic and trade missions.
- Diplomatic means making friends overseas and trade is business between countries.
- Born in 1371 and died in 1435 (Aged 63-64 years old).
- Travelled throughout South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Some voyages lasted for as long as 3 years.Imagine your Mum or Dad being away that long for work!How about being one of the crew, exploring and experiencing different foreign lands and cultures? - Zheng He was a brave soldier and most trusted advisor of the Emperor.
He led more than 20,000 men and a fleet of over 100 ships!At the time, China had the most advanced navy in the world. - Cool stuff Zheng He brought back to China include exotic animals such as lions and giraffes, precious stones and spice.
- He navigated with magnetic compasses for direction and slow-burning incense to measure time and distance.
Zheng He's Adventures
Source: ABC News
Zheng He's Ship | Size Comparison
Fun Facts
- "Chinese Treasure Ships" used by the commander of the fleet and his deputies are about 127 metres (417 feet) long, 52 metres (171 feet) wide, with four decks.
- Carried 500 to 1000 passengers including navigators, explorers, sailors, doctors, translators and diarist to document the journey.
- Armed with cannons to fight off pirates and help allies during times of need.
Lasting impact of Zheng He
- Many Chinese people migrated and settled overseas to the countries that Zheng He visited and traded with during his voyages.
- There are people with Chinese heritage as far as Africa!
- Being Muslim, Zheng He helped to spread Islam and is remembered with mosques, temples and museums around Indonesia and Malaysia.
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