A hundred years before Columbus and his fellow Europeans began to make their way to the New World, a Chinese fleet sent out by the Ming Emperor of China had already ventured into the uncharted waters of the western Pacific and Indian oceans. 

Over a period of almost three decades in the early 15th century, admiral Zheng He and his armada made seven epic voyages. His fleet, which consisted of giant treasure ships loaded with the empire’s finest porcelains, lacquerware, silk and the like, sailed to India, Arabia and east Africa, visiting more than 30 Asian and African countries and regions.

Today, we’re going to further explore the seven epic voyages made by China’s maritime legend Zheng He more than 600 years ago, but this time we’re going to talk more about their background – full of power struggles, envy, and treachery.