Zheng He

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

voyages of Zheng He

Zheng He: fourth voyage

Zheng He: voyages

For Students

Zheng He summary

Zheng He

Zheng He Timeline

Zheng He

Zheng He’s Achievements

Read Next

Chinese cultural revolution era poster showing Chairman Mao above an adoring crowd of red guards soldiers and workers

A Brief Overview of China’s Cultural Revolution

pacifier, baby, infant, plastic

The Effects of China’s One-Child Policy

Discover

Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept

Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?

Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1855), founder of the house of Rothschild; lithograph by Friedrich Lieder, c. 1830.

Where Do Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories About the Rothschild Family Come From?

Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army

8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century

An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.

11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls

Pro and Con: School Uniforms

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.

10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci

Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics

10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time

Zheng He: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Ma Sanbao • Cheng Ho • Ma He
Born	c.1371 • China
Died	1433 • Kozhikode • India

Did You Know?

Zheng He's fleets were active in much of the Old World, travelling from China as far west as Kenya, Somalia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
Zheng He was unusually tall for his time period, standing at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 meters).
Zheng He was a member of the Hui, a minority group in China that is predominantly Muslim. Later in life, he developed an interest in Buddhist teachings.
On his final voyage, Zheng He diverted from his fleet on his personal hajj to Mecca. He contracted an illness, and whether he successfully returned to China or died during his return is unknown.

Photos

Zheng He: fourth voyage

See All Images and Interactives →

Wang Hongwen

Chinese politician

Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong

Chinese leader

The Yongle emperor, detail of a portrait; in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.

Yongle

emperor of Ming dynasty

Kangxi

emperor of Qing dynasty

The Hongwu emperor; in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.

Hongwu

emperor of Ming dynasty

Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen

Chinese leader

Zhou Enlai

Zhou Enlai

premier of China

Qianlong

Qianlong

emperor of Qing dynasty

The Taizu emperor, founder of the Song dynasty, detail of a portrait; in the National Palace Museum, Taipei

Taizu

emperor of Song dynasty

Liu Shaoqi

Liu Shaoqi

Chinese statesman

Lin Biao

Lin Biao

Chinese military leader

Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek

Chinese statesman

Hu Shih

Hu Shih

Chinese leader and scholar

Li Hongzhang

Chinese statesman

Xuanzong

emperor of Tang dynasty [685–762]

Hong Xiuquan

Hong Xiuquan

Chinese prophet and rebel

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping

president of China

Chen Duxiu

Chinese leader

Ban Gu

Chinese historian

Ouyang Xiu

Chinese author and statesman

Quiz

Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture.

Exploration and Discovery