Monday, August 27, 2007
(A map showing the routes taken by Zheng He during his voyages)
PLACES VISITED BY ZHENG HE:
The followings are the recorded places visited by Admiral Zheng He during his seven voyages
During his (1st) first voyage from 1405AD to 1407AD
he visited these places:
(01) Champa (in present day south of Vietnam
(02) Java (in present day Indonesia)
(03) Sumatra (in present day Indonesia)
(04) Ceylon (present day Sri Laka)
(05) Cochin (in the west coast of India)
(06) Palembang (in present day Indonesia)
(2nd) Second voyage from 1408AD to 1411AD
(07) Champa = same as (01)
(08) Java = same as (02)
(09) Malacca (in present day Malaysia)
(10) Sumatra = same as (03)
(11) Quilon (near the present day Sumatra)
(12) Bengal (present day Blangladash)
(13) Ceylon = same as (04)
(14) Cochin = same as (05)
(15) Calicut (somewhere in the present day west coast of India )
(16) Cail (in present day ?)
(17) Jurfattan ? (in present day ? )
(18) Jurfattan ? (in present day ? )
(3rd) Third voyage from 1412AD to 1415AD
(19) Champa = same as (01)
(20) Kelantan (in present day Malaysia)
(21) Dupo ? (in present day : unknown)
(22) Aru (in present day Indonesia)
(23) Polembang = same as (06)
(24) Sumatra = same as (03)
(25) Sunda (in present day Indonesia ?)
(26) Ceylon = same as (04)
(27) Koyampadi (in present day ? )
(28) Cochin =same as (05)
(29) Calicut = same as (15)
(30) Ormus (in present day Iran )
(31) Malinde (in present day Kenya in Adrica ? )
(32) Pahang (in present day Malaysia)
(4th) Fourth voyage from 1416AD to 1419AD:
(33) Champa = same as (01)
(34) Java = same as (02)
(35) Malacca = same as (09)
(36) Sumatra = same as (03)
(37) Bormeo (present day Brunei in Borneo Island or Kalimanta Island)
(38) Pahang = same as (32)
(39) Maldives (the present day Maldives)
(40) Aden (present day Aden)
(41) Ormus = same as (30)
(42) Cochin = same as (05)
(43) Juba ( in present day Somali in Africa)
(44) Sana? (in present day ? )
(5th) Fifth voyage 1421AD to 1422AD
(45) Champa = same as (01)
(46) Sumatra = same as (03)
(47) Zufar (somewhere in the Middle East)
(48) Macca (present day Mecca in Saudi Arabia)
(49) Magadoxn (Mogadishu in Somali)
(50) Juba = same as (43)
(51) Juba = same as (43)
(6th) Sixth voyage 1424AD to 1425AD
(52) Champa = same as (01)
(53) Polembang = same as (06)
(7th) Seventh voyage 1430AD to 1433AD
(54) Champa = same as (01)
(55) Java = same as (02)
(56) Polembang = same as (06)
(57) Sumatra = same as (03)
(58) Lambri (in present day Indonesia)
(59) Lidi (in present day Indonesia)
(60) Battak (in present day Indonesia)
(61) Quilon = same as (11)
(62) Ceylon = same as (04)
(63) Culicut = same as (15)
(64) Ormus = same as (30)
(65) Zufar = same as (47)
(66) Aden = same as (40)
(67) Macca = same as (48)
(68) Magadoxn = same as (49)
(69) Juba = same as (43)
(70) Siam (present day Thailand)
etween 1405 and 1433, over a period of 28 years, Zhenghe had been
ordered for eight times to act as an envoy to countries lying to the west
of China. He had under his command a big fleet and a staff of more than
20,000 men each time. The South China Sea and the Indian Ocean was
where his fleets had sailed. Sailing then in a northwest direction, they
had visited Yemen, Iran and the Holy City of Islam Mecca and further west
to today's Somalia in East Africa. He had made calls at more than 30
countries and territories in all.
ZhengHe was acting as the envoy and commercial representative of the
Ming court on each voyage. No matter what country he visited, he would
call on the ruler of the land, present to him valuable gifts in token of
China's sincere desire to develop friendly relations and invite the
host sovereign to send emissaries to China. Wherever he was, he would
made a careful study of the customs and habits of local residents. Showing
them due respect, he bartered or dealt with them through consultation
and negotiation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. He
obtained large quantities of pearls and precious stones, coral, ivory and
dyestuffs for the Chinese emperor in this way. He also brought back several
kinds of rare and precious animals such as giraffe, lion, ostrich and
leopard. Wherever he went, he was warmly received. Even today, people
in Somalia and Tanzania look upon Ming China unearthed today as a symbol
of the traditional friendship between their own country and China. In
Thailand today, there are places named after ZhengHe's childhood name
Sanbao (three treasures) such as Sanbao Harbour and Sanbao Pagoda.
Malacca of Malaysia is known also as the City of Sanbao. At Java in
Indonesia, there is the Sanbao Temple. In Calicut (Kozhikode today) of India,
there is an inscribed tablet set up in ZhengHe's memory
The countries ZhengHe had visited later sent their emissaries and trade
representatives to China from time to time. The voyages by ZhengHe
strengthened the friendly relations between China and other countries in
Asia and Africa and gave an impetus to cultural and economic exchange
between them.
On his first voyage overseas, the largest ship in the fleet had a
length of 440 Chinese feet and a width of 180. Manned by more then 200
sailors and able to accommodate 1, 000 passengers, it was equipped with nine
masts which flew 12 big sails. Many of the navigational problems
encountered were solved in a rational, scientific way. For instance, the way
fresh water was collected and stored, the stability of the hull and
its buoyancy, the making of sea charts and the use of navigational
apparatuses like the compass. This accounted for the fact that in spite of
terrible storms, this fleet of friendship had ploughed the waves day and
night in full sail. ZhengHe kept a detailed logbook on each of his 8
voyages and made many nautical charts which were later collected in what
was called Zheng He's Nautical Charts, which was the first of its kind
in the world.
as told by us;
12:32 AM