Zheng He was born in Kunyang, Yunnan, during the early years of the Ming Dynasty. In his childhood, Ming troops invaded Yunnan and captured young Zheng He, taking him into the army. He was later castrated and made a eunuch, then sent as a servant to the household of Prince Yan, Zhu Di. Zheng He earned Zhu Di's deep appreciation and, as an adult, followed him on military campaigns, repeatedly distinguishing himself. Originally named Ma Sanbao, after Zhu Di ascended the throne, he was granted the surname "Zheng" and renamed "Zheng He." Subsequently, with the support of Zhu Di and his grandson Zhu Zhanji, Zheng He embarked on seven voyages to the Western Seas, making immense contributions to the advancement of maritime exploration during the Ming Dynasty and across the world.
In 1405, the third year of Zhu Di's reign, Zheng He embarked on his first voyage to the Western Seas with Zhu Di's support. Prior to this, Zheng He had been sent on a diplomatic mission to Japan, successfully establishing relations and persuading the Japanese to dispatch troops to clear out the wokou pirates plaguing China's southeastern coast, demonstrating his exceptional diplomatic skills. Additionally, Zheng He had learned extensive maritime knowledge from his grandfather and father since childhood. During his years of service to Zhu Di, Zheng He also participated in shipbuilding multiple times, accumulating valuable experience in constructing vessels. All these factors laid a solid foundation for Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas.
At the same time, Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas required strong social conditions. Since the Tang Dynasty, China's shipbuilding technology had been highly advanced, especially after the introduction of the Arab triangular sail, which finally allowed ships to sail smoothly against the wind, providing a good opportunity for long-distance ocean voyages. During the Yuan Dynasty, trade at several major Chinese ports flourished continuously, with trade volumes ranking among the highest in the world, all of which provided strong technical support for the Ming Dynasty's ocean-going expeditions. Additionally, the highly centralized political system of the Ming Dynasty could mobilize the entire nation's resources to provide political, economic, and military support for the grand undertaking of Zheng He's voyages. Against this backdrop, Zheng He finally began his seafaring journey that would last half his life.
During his first voyage to the Western Seas, Zheng He led his fleet to the kingdom of Majapahit on the island of Java in India. When Zheng He and his men came ashore, the Eastern King and Western King of Majapahit were locked in a fierce conflict. The Western King defeated the Eastern King and seized his territory. Mistaking Zheng He's large entourage for reinforcements summoned by the Eastern King, the Western King ordered an attack on Zheng He and his men. In the ensuing clash, one hundred and seventy Ming Dynasty soldiers were killed.
Later, the truth quickly came to light. When the Western King learned of Zheng He and his companions' true identities, he was both shocked and terrified, fearing that the Ming government would send troops to retaliate. He proactively offered Zheng He sixty thousand taels of gold as compensation to resolve the matter peacefully. However, Zheng He's subordinates were all filled with righteous indignation, vowing to avenge their fallen comrades. Putting the greater good first, Zheng He reported the full details of the incident to Zhu Di and proposed a peaceful resolution. Zhu Di accepted Zheng He's advice, thereby sparing the people of Java from a bloody catastrophe. As a result, both the government and people of the Majapahit Kingdom were deeply grateful for the Ming government's magnanimity and felt especially indebted to Zheng He. Although Zheng He's first voyage to the Western Seas encountered considerable trouble, it was ultimately resolved smoothly, setting a favorable precedent for future expeditions.
Two years later, Zheng He returned to China. To escort foreign envoys who had visited the Ming Dynasty back to their home countries, Zheng He soon began preparations for his second voyage to the Western Seas. In the autumn of 1407, Zheng He led a fleet of over 27,000 people and set sail once again. This time, his maritime journey covered various countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Java, Malacca, Ceylon, Cochin, and Calicut. Zheng He brought along large quantities of gold, silver, cloth, silk, and sesame oil, which he presented to several Buddhist temples in Ceylon. This voyage lasted nearly two years, and in the summer of 1409, Zheng He and his crew finally returned home.
During Zheng He's third voyage to the Western Seas, he successively passed through places such as Kayal, Abadan, Cambay, Quilon, Cochin, and Calicut, and established a warehouse in Malacca where large quantities of grain and goods were stored, making it convenient to replenish supplies for future voyages.
In 1411, Zheng He led his fleet back to China. A year later, Zhu Di ordered Zheng He to embark on another voyage, which was larger in scale than the previous ones. Zheng He immediately threw himself into preparations for the expedition. In the winter of 1413, Zheng He set out on his fourth voyage to the Western Seas with 27,670 men. The fleet successively arrived at Champa, Java, Palembang, Malacca, Aru, and Sumatra. At Sumatra, Zheng He split the fleet into two groups—one heading to Ceylon and the other to the Maldives. The fleet finally reached the Persian Gulf, then began its return journey, making a brief stop at the Maldives before arriving back in China in the summer of 1415.
By the end of the following year, Zheng He received an order from Zhu Di to escort some foreign envoys back to their home countries, which marked his fifth voyage to the Western Seas. During this journey, Zheng He's fleet reached the east coast of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Two years later, in the summer of 1419, the fleet finally returned to China.
By 1421, Zheng He once again received an order from Zhu Di to escort foreign envoys back to their countries. During his sixth voyage, Zheng He successively visited over twenty countries and regions, including Champa, Siam, Jubo, Calicut, and Cochin, with his travels spanning both Asia and Africa. The following year, Zheng He returned home accompanied by visiting envoys from Siam, Sumatra, Aden, and other nations.
By the time Zheng He embarked on his seventh voyage to the Western Seas at the end of 1430, both Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) and his successor Emperor Renzong (Zhu Gaochi) had passed away, and the reigning emperor was Xuande (Zhu Zhanji), Zhu Di's grandson. At sixty years old, with the support of Emperor Xuande, Zheng He led a fleet of 27,550 men on his seventh and final voyage, which would also be the last expedition of his life.
This voyage passed through regions such as Champa, Java, Sumatra, and Calicut. Zheng He originally planned to sail all the way to the southern straits of Africa, but he fell ill when the fleet arrived at Calicut on the west coast of India. In 1433, Zheng He died of illness in Calicut at the age of sixty-three. The voyage was thus cut short, and that same summer, the fleet returned home.
From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He led his fleet on seven voyages to the Western Seas, passing through Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, and Africa, visiting over thirty countries and regions, reaching as far as the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa, and opening direct sea routes from the western Pacific to the Indian Ocean and other oceans. Zheng He's voyages were unprecedented in terms of timing, scale, and navigational range, representing the highest level of maritime exploration of their era and fully showcasing the powerful comprehensive national strength of the Ming Dynasty. Nearly a century after Zheng He's voyages, Columbus discovered the New World of the Americas during his long-distance voyage.
Some say that Zhu Di sent Zheng He on his voyages to the Western Seas to search for the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen, but this claim has never been confirmed. The primary purpose of Zheng He's expeditions was to showcase national prestige, with political motives far outweighing economic ones. As a result, these voyages brought virtually no profit to the Ming government; on the contrary, they required enormous expenditures. Without strong comprehensive national power as support, Zheng He and his fleet could never have completed seven consecutive voyages. In the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, as national strength declined, grand undertakings like Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas gradually disappeared.
Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas were the last global-scale undertaking in ancient Chinese history, showcasing the powerful national strength of the early Ming Dynasty, as well as China's formidable naval force, strengthening ties between China and overseas nations, and spreading China's reputation across Asia and Africa. As the greatest contributor to this grand achievement, Zheng He is regarded by later generations as one of the greatest navigators in world history.