Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2019 | Page 14

Zheng He’s Voyages. Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary & Primary School, So, Hayley – 10 Hi ! I don’t think you know much about Zheng He’s first voyage. So let me share an information report about Zheng He’s first voyage with you! Zheng He's first voyage (1405-1407) began in July 1405.He first set sail in 1405, commanding 62 ships and 27,800 men. The fleet visited Champa (now in southern Vietnam), Siam (Thailand), Malacca (Melaka), and the island of Java and then through the Indian Ocean to Calicut (Kozhikode) on the Malabar Coast of India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Zheng He returned to China in 1407. When Zheng he’s first voyage went to Java, the empire of Java setted up a war between Java and the peoples in Zheng He’s first voyage. Many people died during the war. But at last Zheng he and his crew won. Zheng He and his crew also had a fight with the Guang Dong pirates who wanted the treasure. But Zheng He and his crew won. After many difficulties, Zheng He and his remaining crew came back to Nanjing safely at 1407. Zheng He came back as a hero. Zheng He exchanged goods wherever they went on the fleet .Sometimes Zheng He also invited the peoples from where they went to come back and talk to the China emperor. So the Chinese people could learn somethings about the other countries and improve China.So all in all , Zheng He’s first voyage was kind of successful. Zheng He and his crew rested for a while and plan for the second voyage. In Zheng He’s second voyage,he started in 1407.When they first sailed out, there was an huge storm and it changes the direction of the voyage slightly.They first went to Thailand then they went to Ceylon.In Ceylon because the emperor changed, so the new emperor of Ceylon setted up a battle between Ceylon and the peoples in Zheng He’s voyage. But the Ceylon loss, and Zheng He made the nice and friendly empire back to empire. Zheng He went back to Nanjing in 1412CE. After many years,the emperor of Ming dynasty died. Hong Xi ruled Ming dynasty. Hong Xi hated Zheng He’s voyages, he thought it was a waste of money. After that ,he canceled the voyages. Many years passed again, Hong Xi emperor died. A new emperor ruled Ming dynasty and he heard the idea of the voyages and thought it was a pretty good idea. So he let Zheng He to continue the voyages and that was Zheng He’s seventh voyage. So in Zheng He’s seventh voyage, they first went to Arabian Peninsula.Then they went to Malarba coast.In Malarba coast , Zheng He died . He was 62 years old when he died. After Zheng He died , the treasure fleet ended.