Tags: craft | sailing schooner

Cheng Ho was a Chinese navigator and diplomat in the 15 th century. Under the aegis of the Ming Emperor, in 1405 Cheng Ho set out with a crew of 27800 and a fleet of more than 100 ships, some as long as 65 meters, on a 2 year ambassadorial mission to visit countries in the West. Cheng Ho led 7 more expeditions over a period of 28 years, reaching as far as the Egyptian shore of the Red Sea .

Text and images are provided by Tamkang University Maritime Museum