a statue of a man wearing a cape and holding a sword

China’s greatest naval explorer sailed his treasure fleets as far as East Africa

Spreading Chinese goods and prestige, Zheng He commanded seven voyages that established China as Asia's strongest naval power in the 1400s.

At the Tay Kak Sie Chinese Taoist temple in Semarang on the island of Java, Indonesia, a statue of Zheng He shows how far his legacy stretches across Asia.
ARTERRA PICTURE/ALAMY/ACI
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