Six centuries ago, during the early Ming dynasty, China’s fleet was one of the most impressive to ever exist and was led by legendary admiral Zheng He. Embark in the documentary When China Ruled the Waves to learn more about how china rules the waves and the history behind one of the world’s most successful admirals to ever live.
It was in the year of 1402 that the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di, rose to power and started construction on a new Chinese fleet, which contained the impressive nine-masted Chinese treasure ship as one of its most wondrous feats of naval engineering. This fleet came to be known as the treasure fleet, included over 300 vessels and almost 28.000 men.
And to lead this fearsome fleet was Zheng He, a Muslim eunuch, and a close friend and advisor of Emperor Zhu Di. This renowned admiral served the Ming Dynasty for decades until his death. A period that is marked by his presence as the world’s greatest and most influential admiral, leading a fleet of proportions never seen before.
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