36 moments

1. Birth at Kunyang

   1371-01-01 · Kunyang, Jinning District, Kunming, Yunnan, China

   

   Zheng He was born Ma He into a Muslim family at Kunyang in Yunnan. The modern settlement coordinate represents historical Kunyang.

2. Captured during the Ming conquest of Yunnan

   1381-01-01 · Yunnan, China

   

   Ma He was captured by Ming forces in Yunnan and subsequently placed in the service of the Prince of Yan. The evidence specifies Yunnan rather than a precise capture site; coordinate is a representative point at Kunming.

3. Defense of Zhenglunba reservoir

   1399-01-01 · Beiping (modern Beijing), China

   

   While serving Zhu Di during the Jingnan Campaign, Ma He successfully defended Beiping's city reservoir at Zhenglunba. The exact location of Zhenglunba is not established here; coordinate represents Beijing.

4. First-voyage stop at Liujiagang

   1405-01-01 · Liujiagang, Taicang, Jiangsu, China

   

   On the first voyage, Zheng He's fleet stopped at Liujiagang, where it was organized into squadrons and made offerings before proceeding south. The text describes Zheng's first expedition and its fleet; the date is limited to the voyage year.

5. First-voyage wait at Changle

   1405-01-01 · Taiping Anchorage, Changle, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

   

   Zheng He's first expedition waited at Taiping anchorage in Changle for favorable monsoon winds before entering the South China Sea. Coordinate represents Changle; the precise historical anchorage is approximate.

6. Departure of the first treasure voyage

   1405-07-11 · Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

   

   Zheng He began the first of his major maritime expeditions as commander of the Ming treasure fleet. The article identifies Suzhou as the departure place.

7. Battle against Chen Zuyi's fleet

   1407-01-01 · Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia

   

   During the return from the first voyage, Zheng He and his associates fought the pirate Chen Zuyi's fleet at Palembang.

8. Return from the first voyage

   1407-10-02 · Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

   

   Zheng He's first treasure-fleet expedition returned to the Ming capital at Nanjing. The return is for Zheng's first expedition; the sentence identifies the fleet rather than Zheng individually.

9. Embarkation on the third voyage

   1409-01-01 · Liujiagang, Taicang, Jiangsu, China

   

   Zheng He embarked on his third treasure-fleet voyage, which continued the established route through Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. The departure occurred between 9 October and 6 November 1409.

10. Visit to Pulau Sembilan

    1409-01-01 · Pulau Sembilan, Perak, Malaysia

    

    Zheng He and his associates sent troops ashore on Pulau Sembilan to collect incense wood during the second-voyage return journey. The source dates the event to the seventh Yongle year, corresponding to 1409; coordinate is a representative point for the island group.

11. Arrival at Changle on the third voyage

    1409-11-01 · Changle, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    

    The third-voyage fleet reached Changle, where it remained until departing through the Min River in early 1410. The month is supported; the source describes Zheng's third-voyage fleet.

12. Landing at Galle

    1410-01-01 · Galle, Sri Lanka

    

    During the third voyage, Zheng He's fleet landed at Galle on Ceylon before the later conflict with Alakeshvara. The source identifies the landing by Zheng's fleet but does not give a more precise date.

13. Campaign at Kotte

    1411-01-01 · Kotte, Sri Lanka

    

    During the third-voyage return, Zheng He led 2,000 troops overland into Kotte and captured its capital after being separated from his fleet. The exact date within 1411 is not stated.

14. Return from the third voyage

    1411-07-06 · Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    

    Zheng He returned to Nanjing after the campaign in Ceylon and presented captured Sinhalese leaders to the Yongle Emperor.

15. Fourth-voyage departure

    1413-01-01 · Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    

    Zheng He led the fourth voyage from Nanjing, a voyage that extended the fleet's range beyond Calicut toward Hormuz. The source describes the expedition ordered to Zheng He; departure season is probable.

16. Search for Arabic interpreters

    1413-01-01 · Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

    

    Before the fourth voyage, Zheng He was at Xi'an seeking reliable interpreters and recruited Hasan, who was proficient in Arabic. The quoted lunar-calendar date falls in 1413; no exact Gregorian day is supplied.

17. Return from the fourth voyage

    1415-08-12 · Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    

    Zheng He's fourth-voyage fleet returned to Nanjing after visiting Southeast Asian, South Asian, Maldivian, and Persian Gulf ports. The sentence refers to the fleet of Zheng He's fourth voyage.

18. Ritual at Quanzhou before the fifth voyage

    1417-05-31 · Quanzhou, Fujian, China

    

    Zheng He made port at Quanzhou to load cargo and burned incense there for divine protection before the fifth voyage.

19. Personal mission to Ganbali

    1421-01-01 · Ganbali, western India

    

    During the sixth-voyage period, Zheng He personally visited Ganbali as an envoy, though the historical identification of Ganbali is disputed. Ganbali has been variously identified with Cambay, Coimbatore, or Cape Comorin; coordinate provisionally represents Cambay (Khambhat), Gujarat.

20. Diplomatic mission to Palembang

    1424-01-01 · Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia

    

    Zheng He traveled to Palembang to confer an official seal and letter of appointment on Shi Jisun, the new Pacification Commissioner.

21. Seventh-voyage embarkation

    1431-01-19 · Longwan, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    

    Zheng He's final treasure-fleet expedition embarked from Longwan in Nanjing, beginning the seventh voyage. Coordinate is a representative point for the historical Longwan area; the itinerary is for Zheng's seventh voyage.

22. Arrival at Liujiagang on the seventh voyage

    1431-02-03 · Liujiagang, Taicang, Jiangsu, China

    

    The seventh-voyage fleet arrived at Liujiagang after traveling down the Yangtze from Nanjing. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He.

23. Arrival at Changle on the seventh voyage

    1431-04-08 · Changle, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    

    Zheng He's final expedition reached Changle and later departed through the Min River for Champa. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He.

24. Arrival at Vijaya

    1432-01-27 · Vijaya, near Qui Nhon, Vietnam

    

    The seventh-voyage fleet arrived at Vijaya in Champa and remained there until 12 February. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He; coordinate represents the Vijaya/Qui Nhon area.

25. Arrival at Surabaya

    1432-03-07 · Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

    

    Zheng He's seventh-voyage fleet reached Surabaya in Java and remained for several months. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He.

26. Arrival at Palembang on the seventh voyage

    1432-07-24 · Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia

    

    The final expedition arrived at Palembang, a key Ming-associated port in Sumatra. The sentence refers to Zheng's seventh-voyage fleet.

27. Arrival at Malacca on the seventh voyage

    1432-08-03 · Malacca City, Malaysia

    

    Zheng He's final fleet reached Malacca and stayed until 2 September before sailing to northern Sumatra. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He.

28. Arrival at Semudera on the seventh voyage

    1432-09-12 · Samudra Pasai, Aceh, Indonesia

    

    The final fleet arrived at Semudera, the principal northern Sumatran assembly port for voyages into the Indian Ocean. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He; coordinate represents the Samudra Pasai archaeological area.

29. Arrival at Beruwala

    1432-11-28 · Beruwala, Sri Lanka

    

    Zheng He's seventh-voyage fleet reached Beruwala on Ceylon before continuing to Calicut. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He.

30. Arrival at Calicut on the seventh voyage

    1432-12-10 · Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, India

    

    The seventh-voyage fleet arrived at Calicut, its major Malabar Coast base, before proceeding to Hormuz. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He.

31. Arrival at Hormuz

    1433-01-17 · Hormuz Island, Hormozgan, Iran

    

    Zheng He's final expedition reached Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, the westernmost destination dated in the seventh-voyage itinerary. The pronoun refers to the seventh-voyage fleet dispatched with Zheng He; the historical port location is represented by Hormuz Island.

32. Return to Calicut from Hormuz

    1433-03-31 · Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, India

    

    The returning seventh-voyage fleet reached Calicut after leaving Hormuz on 9 March. The source describes Zheng's seventh-voyage fleet.

33. Return to Semudera

    1433-04-25 · Samudra Pasai, Aceh, Indonesia

    

    The returning fleet reached Semudera after crossing the Indian Ocean from Calicut. The pronoun refers to the returning seventh-voyage fleet; coordinate represents the Samudra Pasai archaeological area.

34. Return to Malacca

    1433-05-09 · Malacca City, Malaysia

    

    Zheng He's final fleet reached Malacca on its eastward return toward China. The pronoun refers to the returning seventh-voyage fleet.

35. Return to Vijaya

    1433-06-13 · Vijaya, near Qui Nhon, Vietnam

    

    The returning seventh-voyage fleet reached Vijaya in Champa before completing its passage back to China. The pronoun refers to the returning seventh-voyage fleet; coordinate represents the Vijaya/Qui Nhon area.

36. Arrival at Taicang

    1433-07-07 · Taicang, Jiangsu, China

    

    The final expedition arrived at Taicang after its return from the Indian Ocean. The sentence refers to Zheng's seventh-voyage fleet; sources differ on whether Zheng survived the voyage.