From: Calliope, February 2007
Subject: Maritime, Biography/People,
Time Period: AD1000-1500: Medieval Times,
Zheng He’s Voyages
By Jin Wu
During the Ming dynasty, seven oceanic voyages set sail from China under the command of Zheng
He between 1405 and 1433. All had the same goals: to persuade foreign emperors to pay tribute, to
forge strategic alliances, to fight against pirates, and to collect scientific curiosities, such as giraffes.
For each expedition, Zheng He’s armada ranged from 50 to 300 ships and as many as 28,000 crew
members. Every voyage started at Nanjing, the capital, sailed through the Taiwan Strait, and headed
for Changlao in Fujian Province. There, the armada completed its final preparations while it waited
for the seasonal northeast trade wind to help it on its journey.
For the first leg of each voyage, the fleet almost always headed south to Southeast Asia. From
there, the armada turned west toward India, sailed across the Indian Ocean, and finally reached the
east coast of Africa. The fleet usually stayed at sea for almost two years, returning home with the
help of the southwest trade wind.
Following Zheng He’s seventh voyage, the ruling Ming emperor banned further expeditions and
ordered the records of the trips destroyed. This was likely because of the great expense of these
expeditions and the serious debates about their benefits to China. As a result, little, if anything, of
the original official records of Zheng He’s voyages survived. In addition, in Ming China, imports and
exports were greatly reduced as the country closed itself off from the rest of the world.
Expeditions such as those led by Zheng He consisted of several difficult tasks:
- the detailed planning and execution of each voyage
- a nationwide search for, and shipment of, large tree trunks (needed for masts) to Nanjing
- the hiring of craftsmen from around the country and bringing them to the Longjiang Shipyard
- the recruiting and training of commercial and military personnel for the expeditions
- command of the fleet on the high seas, including the managing of personnel en route
- the responsibility of supplying and feeding the crew
Jin Wu, a professor of engineering sciences at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, served as the president of National Cheng Kung
University and as the minister of education for the Republic of China. Professor Wu is directing research on Zheng He’s voyages.
Commander at 35
Zheng He was ready. At age 35, he had just taken command of the Yongle Emperor’s Treasure
Fleet. Two years earlier in 1403, the emperor had issued an imperial order to build a fleet of trading
ships, warships, and support vessels. Now, on the eve of the first voyage, more than 300 ships lined
the wide, muddy channel of the Yangzi River. There were Chinese junks, supply ships, battleships,
horse transports, and patrol boats. It was the largest display of naval power the world had ever seen.
On board were the empire’s finest silks, porcelain, lacquerware, and fine-art objects. In exchange,
the Chinese would trade for valuables such as gold, silver, pearls, rhinoceros horn, incense,
medicinal herbs, and spices. Zheng He took ill while commanding his seventh voyage. The Treasure
Ships returned home in 1433 without him—some say he died during the voyage and was buried at
sea—and never again ventured forth from China’s ports.
The chart below compares the average length of Zheng He’s Treasure Ships with that of the ships
commanded by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing for Spain in 1492 (similar to those
of the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, sailing for Portugal in 1498; and those of the
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for Spain in 1521). The chart at far right compares
the years and number of ships and crew in Zheng He’s armada with the statistics for those other
historical voyages. While there have been debates about the actual size of Zheng He’s Treasure
Ships, the number of crew members is certain. These comparisons clearly illustrate that even if the
size and number of ships in Zheng He’s voyages were actually less than the statistics cited by some
historians, they still considerably exceeded those of da Gama, Columbus, and Magellan—all of
which voyages took place decades after Zheng He’s.
Comparison of Zheng He’s Voyages with Others
Navigators
Zheng He
(1405–1433)
Ships
48–317
Crew
28,000
Columbus
(1492)
3
90
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