Admiral Zheng He, a pioneer of global exploration, who was in great part responsible for this remarkable adventure.
The Liu Gang 1418 /1763 map—a tribute to Zheng He’s courageous voyages of discovery.
Bronze Chinese lion figure at the entrance to the Emperor’s Summer Palace, Beijing.
Visitors at the Summer Palace, Beijing, c. 1902.
A view of the magnificent Forbidden City, Beijing, whose construction flourished under the great emperors of the Ming dynasty.
A delicate piece of beautiful Ming porcelain, as traded around the world by the Treasure fleet.
A view of the Great Wall of China snaking along the rugged mountain ridge at Simatai.
A vast fleet of Chinese junks could carry a considerable amount more than a caravan of camels!
The fleet journeyed northward up the crystalline Red Sea waters, through to the bustling souks of Cairo, and beyond.