Zheng Ho

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Zheng Ho (1371–1435) Chinese admiral, explorer, and diplomat, known as the ‘three-jewelled eunuch’. Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng Ho led seven naval expeditions across the China Sea and the Indian Ocean to gather treasures and unusual tributes for the Imperial court. His voyages reached as far w as the Persian Gulf, visiting ports in se Asia, India, East Africa, and Egypt. His voyages prepared the way for Chinese colonization of se Asia.