Zheng He's Voyage

When I read and watched the videos about Zheng He, I was left thinking "so what?" I did not understand what the point was and what he actually accomplished on his journeys, but now I do.

Although Zheng He did not discover any new land or conquer any areas, his trip benefitted China in a different way. He sailed his massive fleet of about 300 ships to show off his dominance as well as China's military strength and naval power. He was not particularly violent, however, when he needed order he knew it was necessary to impress foreign people. He often displayed this military strength when his fleet was threatened.

These voyages were also about trade, which is why his own ship was filled with porcelain, calligraphy scrolls and musical instruments. He traded these goods for things like fruits, and rare, exotic animals. This included the first giraffe in China.

From this I realized that Zheng He did not need to conquer land or people in order to reveal China's power. He did this by simply sailing his 300 ships around and trading lavish and expensive items.