In 2020, Zheng He's 616th anniversary of his voyage to the West. Zheng He's voyage to the West was the largest voyage of seven voyages to Europe, Africa and Asia during the Ming Dynasty. This nautical activity not only demonstrated China's maritime strength, but also promoted economic and cultural exchanges between China and Asian and African countries, and deepened friendly relations between countries.
Zheng He's voyage to the West began in 1405 and ended in 1433. During these seven voyages, the fleet led by Zheng He was large-scale, with a maximum of 270,000 people, more than 300 ships. The fleet has crossed the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and other seas, reached Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, East Africa and other regions, and reached as far as the Red Sea coast and the east coast of Africa.
The main purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West was to demonstrate China's maritime strength, disseminate China's traditional culture, and strengthen friendly relations with Asian and African countries. During this voyage, Zheng He led the fleet to present a large number of gifts to the kings of various countries, including gold, silver, silk, porcelain, etc. At the same time, Zheng He also brought back a large number of specialties and treasures, such as jewelry, spices, medicinal herbs, etc. The exchange of these gifts and souvenirs has deepened the economic and cultural exchanges between the countries.
What is also of great significance to Zheng He's voyage to the West is that it has laid a solid foundation for friendly relations between China and Asian and African countries. During Zheng He's voyages, he established deep friendships with kings, and some countries even sent envoys back to China with their fleets, establishing friendly relations with the Ming emperors. These friendly relations have facilitated exchanges and cultural exchanges between China and Asian and African countries.
However, there was also some controversy about Zheng He's voyage to the West. Some people believe that Zheng He's voyage to the West consumed a lot of national financial resources and caused a burden on the economic development of the Ming Dynasty. In addition, after Zheng He's voyage ended, the Ming Dynasty adopted a maritime ban policy, which restricted maritime and navigation activities, which made China miss the opportunity to continue to develop maritime strength and expand the world.
Despite this, Zheng He's voyage to the West still has an important position in China's maritime history. It demonstrates China's maritime strength and cultural charm, and lays the foundation for China's friendly relations with Asian and African countries. Today, we should inherit and carry forward the spirit of Zheng He's navigation, actively participate in international exchanges and cooperation, and contribute to the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
On the occasion of commemorating the 616th anniversary of Zheng He's voyage to the West, we should not only cherish the memory of Zheng He, a great navigator, but also keep in mind the lessons of history, cherish today's international status, and strive to promote the development of our country. Only in this way can we better inherit and carry forward the spirit of Zheng He's navigation and strive to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.