Retrospection and Reflections on Zheng He's Voyages to the West

Author: Su Jilan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Zheng He's voyage to the Western Oceans was a magnificent feat in the history of maritime exploration. It preceded Columbus's arrival in the Americas and Da Gama's rounding of the Cape of Good Hope by more than half a century, and preceded Magellan's circumnavigation by nearly a century. Zheng He was a friendly envoy, and the fleet he led, though one of the most powerful naval forces in the world at the time, faithfully adhered to a policy of friendly neighborliness, embodying a typical peacekeeping force. However, official historical documents contain scarce records of this unprecedented maritime endeavor. It was only due to the popularization of Luo Mingdeng's Ming Dynasty novel "Romance of the Three Bao Imperial Envoys Westward" in that the deeds of Zheng He were not lost to history. Even so, his exploits never became as celebrated or stirring as the stories of Zhang Qian or Ban Chao. To this day, we place great emphasis on economic and commercial activities and the ocean, but due to long-standing historical reasons, maritime culture remains insignificant in Chinese culture. Today, as the nation commemorates Zheng He's maritime voyages, we have compiled the insights of numerous authoritative experts and renowned scholars into this book, aiming to enable China to become a true maritime power in the near future! In 2005, the Earth Science Division of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Agricultural, Light Industry and Environmental Engineering Division of the Chinese Academy of Engineering jointly hosted the symposium "Zheng He's Voyage to the Western Oceans: 600th Anniversary Commemoration, Reflections and Prospects." This book collects the outstanding contributions of the participating experts. The book primarily addresses four key issues: the historical background and evaluation of Zheng He's voyage to the Western Oceans, maritime civilization in Chinese history, maritime awareness in modern Chinese history, and the role of the ocean in China's "peaceful rise."