Chinese claims as to where Zheng He’s fleets sailed
1. Worldwide – Zheng He’s evidence
(i) To “3,000 countries” large and small (Duyvendak’s first translation), a voyage of 40,000 li (100,000 miles) recorded on stone memorials erected by Zheng He at Liu Shia Chang (310 07N, 121 0 35’ E) and Ch’ang Su (260 08’N, 119 0 35’ E).
(ii) Further carved stone tablets at Malacca, Dondra Head (Ceylon), Calicut and the Malabar coast of India.
(iii) Master Bentou (Zheng He’s navigator) diaries (evidence of Kerson Huang) 1403-30.
2. Australia
(i) Zheng He’s passage chart which shows coral reef from N E Australian coast – Zhao Zhi Hua 1990 (Zhu Jian Qiu, November 2002) (Martin Tai translation).
(ii) Professor Wei Chu Hsieh, The Chinese Discovery of Australia.
(iii) Professor Liu Manchum, paper 26, Nanjing Conference (October 2002), ‘Beira’ or ‘Sunla’ is Australia.
(iv) Ma Huan (Martin Tai evidence, 26 February 2003), Wang Da Yuan/Barbarians of the Isles T’oung Pao Vol 16-1915, Ropose = Australia, Maram = Darwin.
(v) Chinese knowledge of Australia – Melchior Thevenot Relations 1663 (Mark Righton).
(vi) The Wu Pei Chih shows Australia (Sun Shuyun translation).
3. Reaching America
(i) Professor Liu Manchum (paper 26, Nanjing Conference, October 2002) Fleet reached “extremely far Beira” [= America].
(ii) Professor Quanzhong’s evidence to Kunming Conference (December 2002). Fleet reached Brazil – Brazil delegation to China.
(iii) The sailor Zayan’s claim to have sailed to America with Zheng He’s fleet (Professor Bi Quanzhong’s evidence).
(iv) Chinese pictorial record, The Illustrated Record of Strange Countries (I Yü Thu Chih) published 1430 which shows animals unique to S America, viz armadillos – Professor Wade’s collection.
(v) Chinese pictorial record of herbs and plants known to China (published 1511) which includes plants unique to the Americas (viz Peanuts), Zhong Guo Ben Cao Quanshan (Key Sun’s evidence).
(vi) The Notebook of Wilderness by Ming dynasty writer Zu Yun Ming about the official delegation to China from Balazi = Brazil. (Brazilians left in 1501 with Chinese map showing route) (Martin Tai’s translation).
(vii) The Ming Shi History of the Ming Empire and The General Registry of Sea Countries by Shen Mao Shang which names Balazi (Brazil) as a place visited (Zhu Jian Qiu, Navy Ocean Survey – November 28, 2002) (Martin Tai’s translation).
4. The Antarctic
Zheng He’s passage charts
5. Europe
Spain (Mulanpi) 1408 (Martin Tai/Antonia Bowen-Jones) (via Red Sea/Nile Canal) as set out in Ming Shi (History of Ming Dynasty) … Misr (Cairo) Mulanpi, Kilin…
Corroborated by explosion of Mt. Etna (11th August, 1408 – The Smithsonian)
SUMMARY
The author submits Chinese official records do claim Zheng He’s fleets reached Australia, the Americas, Brazil and Europe. Their re-interpretation follows Professor Bi Quanzhong’s evidence to Nanjing Conference.
Author contends Chinese knew of whole world before 1421; they were away for five years, long enough to circumnavigate the world four times; they had the experience, expertise and ships to explore the whole world, and finally official Chinese records do claim they did so.
