Photographic Insert 1

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Admiral Zheng He, a pioneer of global exploration, who was in great part responsible for this remarkable adventure.

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The Liu Gang 1418 /1763 map—a tribute to Zheng He’s courageous voyages of discovery.

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Bronze Chinese lion figure at the entrance to the Emperor’s Summer Palace, Beijing.

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Visitors at the Summer Palace, Beijing, c. 1902.

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A view of the magnificent Forbidden City, Beijing, whose construction flourished under the great emperors of the Ming dynasty.

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A delicate piece of beautiful Ming porcelain, as traded around the world by the Treasure fleet.

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A view of the Great Wall of China snaking along the rugged mountain ridge at Simatai.

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A vast fleet of Chinese junks could carry a considerable amount more than a caravan of camels!

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The fleet journeyed northward up the crystalline Red Sea waters, through to the bustling souks of Cairo, and beyond.