5.8 Ming Chengzu and Zheng He's Voyages to the "Western Oceans" 明成祖与郑和下西洋
Zhu Di (Ming Chengzu), the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368— 1644), sent the explorer and diplomat Zheng He (circa 1371—1433) to the “Western Oceans” during the third year of his reign (1405). In the next 28 years, Zheng He sailed to the “Western Oceans” seven times. At that time, the “Western Ocean” referred to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean west of Brunei. Zheng He's fleet went to more than 30 countries and regions, and is now known to have reached as far as the eastern coast of Africa, the Red Sea, Mecca, and possibly Australia.