From 1405 to 1433, Liu Jiagang set out, crossed the Straits of Malacca and the Indian Ocean, and Zheng He reached the east coast of Africa and the coast of the Red Sea as far as possible. 1405 1 1 In July (the third year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty), the ancestor of Ming Taizu ordered Zheng He to lead a fleet of more than 240 seagoing ships and 27,400 soldiers and crew to visit many countries and regions in the western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, which deepened China's ties with Southeast Asia and East Africa. From Liujiagang, Suzhou, to 1433 (8 years of Xuande in Ming Dynasty), there were 7 voyages. The last time, in April of eight years, Xuande returned to Guri and died of overwork on the ship. The folk story "Popular Romance of Sambo Eunuch's Journey to the West" calls his travel adventure Sambo Eunuch's Journey to the West. Zheng He has been to more than 30 countries, including Java, Sumatra, Sulu, Pahang, Zhenla, Guri, Siam, Adan, Tian Fang (Arab countries), Zoufal, Hulumusi, Mugudu, and so on, as far away as the east coast of Africa, the Red Sea, Mecca (the holy place of Islam), and possibly even to Australia today. As far as the east coast of Africa and the Red Sea coast. Definition of "Western Ocean": Borneo)/Brunei is the border of the early Ming Dynasty, which is called the Oriental Ocean in the east and the Western Ocean in the west. Therefore, the sea areas used to be called the South China Sea and the Southwest China Sea were called the Eastern Ocean and the Western Ocean in the Ming Dynasty, and the East China Sea in Siam Bay was called the Rising Sea. Conditions and prerequisites for Zheng He's voyage to the West: 1. The development of shipbuilding technology in China since Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties: 2. The Arab spinnaker technology which can sail against the wind was introduced to China, making ocean navigation possible. Judy, the Yongle Emperor, preached great power and national prestige for political purposes. 4. China's Ocean Trade Tradition During the Yuan Dynasty, China's ocean trade was very developed [1]. [2] It had several ports with the largest trade volume in the world at that time, the most powerful navy in the world and a large number of civilian ships and merchant ships, which laid the foundation for the navigation of the Ming Dynasty. 5. The feudal centralization of power in the Ming Dynasty can mobilize forces to do great things [3] and provide economic support and military power guarantee; 6. Sailors, Ming soldiers, translators and others on Zheng He's fleet cooperated together. Zheng He is a great navigator in the history of the world. Menzies, a former British naval officer and marine historian, published "China Discovers the World" in 142 1, arguing that Zheng He's fleet discovered America and Australia before Columbus. In the 28 years after 1405, Zheng He was ordered to lead his fleet to the Western Ocean seven times, and the route crossed the Indian Ocean from the Western Pacific to the east coast of west asia and africa, passing through more than 30 countries and regions. His voyage was 87 years earlier than Columbus' discovery of America, 92 years earlier than Bibi Gama, and 1 14 years earlier than Magellan. In the history of world navigation, he opened a direct route across the western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. 600 years ago, from 65438 to 0405, in 28 years, Zheng He led more than 200 ships of the Ming Dynasty in China to sail in the world waters and visit various countries. According to the estimation of Dr. Joseph Needham of Harvard University, a famous British historian, during the period of 1420, there should be no less than 3,800 ships in China in the Ming Dynasty, exceeding the sum of European ships at that time. Today's western scholars and experts also admit that for all countries in the world at that time, the size and strength of the fleet led by Zheng He were unparalleled. The purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West was mainly to publicize the national prestige of the Ming Dynasty. There is also a saying that Ming Chengzu is looking for Emperor Wen Jian who may be exiled abroad (military purpose); The significance of Zheng He's voyage to the West: 1. It shows the national strength of China in the early Ming Dynasty. Although China's navy is far less than that of the Yuan Dynasty, at least it has realized the tribute of various countries, and the prosperous time dates back to the Han and Tang Dynasties; 2. Strengthened the contact between China Ming government and overseas countries, and the move of dispersing wealth brought economic benefits to Nanyang and western countries; This is the last grand event in the ancient history of China. Since then, there has been no Zheng He. Because the political purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West was greater than the economic purpose, he didn't start private commercial trade, and all his expenses were supported by the powerful national strength of Ming Dynasty, which didn't bring any economic benefits to China. Therefore, after the heyday of the Ming Dynasty, his voyage to the West stopped without strong economic strength to support this huge project.