Zheng He was a famous Chinese explorer（探险家）. In 1405, he set off ① China on the first of seven great voyages （航行）. This was nearly a century before Christopher Columbus first set sail on his journey of discovery to America. His travels were so important that they are still studied today.
Zheng He was born in Yunnan in 1371. He rose to become a trusted official of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor ordered Zheng He to visit and explore the lands ② China.
His task was to develop relations and set up trade routes（路线）with foreign countries. In a few years, he built a great fleet of ships, the biggest in the world at that time. The ships were known as treasure ships. ③ They were big enough to carry 25, 000 people as well as a large number of goods （货物）.
From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He went on seven trips and visited South—East Asia, the Middle East and even the east coast of Africa. It seemed that nowhere was too far for him to visit. These voyages allowed China to trade valuable goods like gold, silver and silk. At the end of each voyage, Zheng He returned with many things that were seen in China for the first time, such as a giraffe from Africa. Besides developing trade, the voyages also encouraged the exchange of cultures and technologies. They helped the development of those countries and regions （地区）.
Zheng He died in 1433 during his last voyage. However, his voyages were such a huge achievement that people still remember him as a pioneer in opening up cultural contacts （联系）between different peoples around the world.
