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Zheng He

Biography >> Explorers for Kids Biography:

Zheng He (1371 - 1433) was a great Chinese explorer and fleet commander. He went on seven major expeditions to explore the world for the Chinese emperor and to establish Chinese trade in new areas.

Ships of Zheng He
Zheng He's Ships by Unknown
Zheng He's Childhood

When Zheng He was born his given name was Ma He. He was born in the Yunnan Province in 1371. His father and grandfather were Muslim leaders of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. However, when the Ming Dynasty took over, Chinese soldiers captured Ma He and took him as a slave to one of the Emperor's sons, Prince Zhu Di.

Ma He served the prince well and rose in the ranks of the servants. Soon he was one of the prince's closest advisors. He earned honor and the prince awarded him by changing his name to Zheng He. Later the prince became the Emperor of China as the Yongle Emperor.

Chief Envoy

The Yongle Emperor wanted to show the rest of the world the glory and power of the Chinese Empire. He also wanted to establish trade and relations with other peoples of the world. He named Zheng He Chief Envoy and instructed him to put together a fleet and explore the world.

Fleet of Treasure Ships

Zheng He commanded a large fleet of ships. His first voyage is estimated to have had over 200 total ships and nearly 28,000 men. Some of the ships were large treasure ships estimated to be over 400 feet long and 170 feet wide. That's longer than a football field! They had ships to carry treasure, ships to carry horses and troops, and even special ships to carry fresh water. Certainly the civilizations that Zheng He visited were amazed at the power and strength of the Chinese Empire when this fleet arrived.

The First Mission

Zheng He's first voyage lasted from 1405 to 1407. He traveled all the way to Calicut, India visiting many towns and ports along the way. They traded and made diplomatic relations at the places they visited. They also battled pirates and even captured one famous pirate leader and brought him back to China with them.

Giraffe brought back to the Emperor
Tribute giraffe from Bengala by Shen Du


Six More Missions

Zheng He would continue to sail on additional missions over the rest of his life. He traveled to many far away places, going all the way to the African coast and establishing trade relations with over 25 countries. He brought back all sorts of interesting items including animals such a giraffe and camels. He also brought back diplomats from various countries to meet with the Chinese Emperor.

It is believed that he died during the seventh and final treasure mission.

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