ADMIRAL Zheng He, the legendary Ming Dynasty mariner, is widely celebrated for commanding China’s powerful Treasure Fleets in the early 15th century. His historic seven voyages between 1405 and 1433 took him across Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and the East African coast — centuries before European maritime powers took to the high seas. Yet, many believe Zheng He’s true achievements have been undervalued or misrepresented in mainstream history.
With increasing interest among maritime historians, this NAC Focus on Zheng He seeks to shed new light on the admiral’s global legacy. It explores provocative questions: Could Zheng He and his fleet have reached the Americas before Christopher Columbus? Did Chinese explorers map the world long before the Age of Discovery officially began?
We feature compelling arguments and research by a global network of scholars. Among them is Ian Hudson, best-selling author who has worked with Gavin Menzies on Who Discovered America? The Untold History of the Peopling of the Americas. He is an expert on ancient seafaring civilisations, who examines evidence of transoceanic contact long before 1492 (click here to read).
Next is Dr Sheng-Wei Wang, who contributes insights into how early Chinese maritime reach extended far beyond Asia, raising the possibility that Zheng He’s fleet visited the Americas (click here and here to read).
We also examine the controversial 1418 World Map presented by Liu Gang, suggesting ancient Chinese knowledge of global geography (click here). Brazilian historian Fausto Guimarães argues that Zheng He’s armada could have landed in Brazil, citing indigenous myths and unexplained rock carvings as clues (click here). And Sulia Chan, president of Zheng He Society of New York, who has dedicated her life to promoting Zheng He as an ambassador for peaceful exploration and cultural exchange (click here).
Additionally, the Zheng He-Leonardo da Vinci comparison explores the intellectual and technological brilliance of these two Renaissance-era figures, suggesting cross-cultural parallels in science, exploration, and innovation (click here).
In producing this NAC Focus on Zheng He, we would like to acknowledge the support given by Dr Sheng-Wei Wang and her China-U.S. Friendship Exchange Inc. (click here), Sulia Chan and friends of the Zheng He Society of New York and Ian Hudson of the 1421 Foundation (click here).
This NAC Focus on Zheng He invites readers to reexamine world history through a more inclusive, multidirectional lens — one that honours Zheng He’s forgotten voyages and the enduring mystery of ancient maritime discovery. - Sebastian Lim
Click here to view the programme for the conference on Voyages@Frontiers of New Asia of the Commonwealth of World Chinatowns (CWC), Sept 3-8, 2025, Jen Hotel, Penang, Malaysia