Zheng He's Voyages to Xiyang

鄭和下西洋

In this pictorial series in English and Chinese, this is the story of Zheng He, navigator, and diplomat in China’s Ming Dynasty, who made seven successive voyages to Xiyang over a period of about 30 years. Research in recent years has suggested that Zheng He’s voyages may have preceded those of other explorers such as James Cook, Magellan, and Columbus, sending shock waves through the world history arena. What cannot be argued is that the epic voyages of Zheng He, presented here in illustration and with 32 colour images, are an important chapter in world navigation history.

Zheng He, an outstanding navigator and diplomat in ancient China's Ming Dynasty, made seven successive voyages to Xiyang over a period of about 30 years. Leading an enormous fleet of over 200 vessels and a staff of 27,000 men, the great navigator sailed extensively in the vast West Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, visiting over 30 countries in Asia and Africa, and carrying out diplomatic, cultural and trade activities. They were warmly received by the peoples of the various countries visited. Zheng He had made a remarkable contribution to the historical development of friendly relations between China and other countries in the world.

Gavin Menzies, a retired British Royal Navy admiral and a part-time historian, began his studies on Zheng He's unbelievable voyages in 1990. He announced his findings in 2003 to the world in his book, 1421 – The Year China Discovered the World. The book sent shock waves through the world's history arena as Menzies believed that Zheng He discovered Australia 350 years ahead of Captain James Cook; that he discovered America 70 years before Columbus; and that the Chinese completed the round-the-world navigation 60 years ahead of Magellan.

This was indeed a significant breakthrough in the studies of Zheng He's voyages. Regardless of whether Menzies's theory could be fully proven, it has long been recognised by the world that the seven epic voyages of Zheng He were a glorious chapter in the world's navigation history. Zheng He is highly respected as a pioneer in the great navigation era of centuries past and as a model for China's integration with the rest of the world.

在這部中英文圖畫冊系列中，講述了明朝航海家及外交官 鄭和在大約 30 年間先後 7 次到西洋之行的故事。近年有 研究指出，鄭和航海之旅可能比占士曲 (James Cook)、麥 哲倫 (Megellan) 和哥倫布 (Columbus) 等探險家還要早， 在世界歷史舞台上掀起連串衝擊。無可置疑的是以 32 頁 彩色圖像所呈現的，鄭和史詩般的航行是世界航海史上的 重要篇章。

鄭和是中國古代明朝傑出的航海家及外交官，在大約 30 年間先後 7 次到西洋考察。這位偉大的航海家率領着 200 多艘船隻和 2 萬 7 千人的龐大船隊，在廣闊的西太平洋和 印度洋上廣泛地航行，到訪了亞洲和非洲 30 多個國家，開 展了外交、文化和貿易活動。他們受到各國當地人民的熱 烈歡迎。鄭和爲中國與世界各國友好關係的歷史發展作出 了突出的貢獻。

英國皇家海軍退役海軍上將、兼任歷史學家加文孟席斯 (Gavin Menzies) 自1990年開始研究鄭和令人難以置信的航 海旅程。在2003年，他以他的著作《1421——中國發現世 界的一年》一書向世界宣佈了他的發現。孟席斯認爲鄭和 比占士曲船長早350年發現澳洲，比哥倫布早70年發現美 洲，中國人比麥哲倫早60年完成環球航行，使這本書震驚 了世界歷史舞台。

這的確是鄭和航海研究的重大突破。無論孟席斯的理論 是否能得到充分證實，鄭和 7次史詩般的航海旅程都是世 界航海史上光輝的一章。鄭和是幾個世紀以前航海大時代 的先驅，也是中國與世界接軌的典範。