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.
郑和下西洋
1405年至1433年，中国航海家郑和率庞大船队七次出使，造访了东南亚、南亚、西亚、东非等地的三十多个国家和地区，拉开了15世纪世界“大航海”活动的序幕。尽管郑和船队是当时世界上最大的船队，但他们并没有侵占、掠夺，而是始终对沿线所有国家、民族以礼相待，友好交往。郑和使团不仅传递国家之间的友好问候，还帮当地人建造城池、驱逐海盗，传授造船、牛耕、畜牧、水稻种植、烹饪等先进技术。郑和第四次下西洋航行时，首次绕过阿拉伯半岛，抵达非洲，打通了中非之间的海路贸易。郑和带去的瓷器、丝绸、漆器等中国物产备受当地欢迎，一时间成为财富的象征。
郑和下西洋是中国古代规模最大、船只和海员最多、时间最久的海上远航活动，不仅缔造了世界航海业发展的里程碑，而且为发展中国和亚非各国的政治、文化、经济上的友好关系作出了卓越贡献，增进了各国人民对中国的了解，也大大开阔了中国人的眼界，丰富了海外地理知识，建立了古代中国和亚非国家间的和平关系，使得海上丝绸之路得以畅通和绵延。
