Ma, whose real name is He, was born in an adventurous family. His grandfather and father both traveled thousands of miles to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, so he was honored as "Hazi" by the local people, that is, "pilgrim" or pilgrim. Zheng He's mother, surnamed Wen, is very virtuous. There is a brother and two sisters. This brother's name is Ma. The Zheng family is highly respected in the local area.
138 1 year, Zhu Yuanzhang sent his men Fu Youde and aquamarine to lead 300,000 troops to launch the Ming-Ping War in Yunnan. In the war, Ma, who was only 1 1 years old, was captured by the Ming army, castrated and worked as a handyman in the army. Later, he entered Nanjing Palace and came to Yanwangfu in Beiping, 14 years old. Judy, the prince of Yan, saw that the horse was clever, so she left it with her and became a trusted friend of the prince. In order to improve the cultural level of serving relatives around her, Judy not only selects knowledgeable officials to teach in the government, but also lets them read a large number of books in the government at will. The talented and studious horse soon became a learned man.
Because the horse is burly, knowledgeable and quick-thinking, it has successfully completed the mission entrusted by the prince and is highly valued by Judy. "No one in the maid can match", especially in the process of helping Judy ascend to the throne and claim the throne, Ma made great contributions and was appreciated by Judy. In the second year of Yongle (1404), on the first day of the first month, in order to show appreciation and love for the heroes, the surname was given, and the surname was given "Zheng", and it was renamed "Zheng He" from now on. At the same time, he was promoted to the supervision eunuch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is equivalent to the four-product officer. Historically, Sambo was called a eunuch. On June 15th, the 3rd year of Yongle (1July, 405 1 1), Judy ordered Zheng He and Wang Jinghong, an assistant envoy, to lead more than 28,000 troops to the Western Ocean and build 62 ships with a length of 44 feet and a width of 18 feet, sailing from Liu Jiahe in Suzhou to Fujian, and then from John Yang in Wumen, Fujian. At that time, there was a civil war between West Java and East Java, and West Java destroyed East Java. West Java soldiers killed 170 soldiers. The king of the west was afraid and offered 62 thousand gold to compensate Zheng He's soldiers who died in battle. Later, when I arrived at the old port of Sanfo Qi, Shi Jinqing, the leader of overseas Chinese in Guangdong, reported that Chen Zuyi, a pirate, was very fierce. Zheng He rose up and wiped out more than 5,000 thieves, burned ten thieves, captured five thieves and captured three thieves, including Chen Zuyi. Zheng He's fleet has been to Sumatra, Manchuria, Ceylon, Guri and other countries. In ancient times, the king was given imperial edicts, silver seals, pavilions and stone tablets. "Going to China for more than 100,000 miles, people and things are salty, the city is in harmony with the wind, and stone carvings are here, which will last forever." In the fifth year of Yongle (1407 10.2), Chen Zuyi and others were sacrificed and Chen Zuyi and others were beheaded. Shi Jinqing was appointed Ambassador of Laogang. Soldiers who made meritorious deeds in catching thieves in the old port were rewarded: commander-in-chief banknotes 100 ingots, four tables of colored coins, 80 ingots of thousands of banknotes, three tables of colored coins, 60 ingots of hundred banknotes and two tables of colored coins; Doctor, 50-ingot long bill, with a colorful coin and a table inside, and three pieces of brocade were burned. The second voyage to the West was from the fifth year of Yongle to the seventh year of Yongle (A.D. 1407- 1409). On September 13th, the fifth year of Yongle, Zheng He went to the Western Ocean for the second time ten days after he returned home. Mainly visited Zhancheng, Java, Siam (now Thailand), Malaga, Namuri, Guri (now the southernmost tip of India), Ceylon, Kirgiz (now the southwest coast of India), Guri and other countries. Yu Yongle returned to China in the summer of 78. Zheng He made a special trip to the Buddhist temple in Ceylon Busch Ceylon Mountain, and erected a monument to make it permanent. The inscription records that "gold and silver are used for weaving gold, spinning treasures, incense burners, vases, internal and external lamps and candles, etc." It is also based on the Buddhist temple, but it can be learned from the world. " This monument was discovered in Kerry Town, Ceylon Island in191/and is now kept in Ceylon Museum. Carved in Chinese, Tamil and Persian, it is a precious cultural relic in the history of Sino-Sri Lankan friendly relations and a national treasure of Sri Lanka. The data of the second voyage to the West was 27,000. The third voyage to the West 1409 10 (September, the seventh year of Yongle) set sail from Liujiagang, Taicang. Yao, Fei Xin, Ma Huan and others went to Vietnam, Malaysia, India and other places together, and visited Ceylon Mountain on their way home.141July 6, 2008 (Yongle Nine Years) Historical Materials of Yao's Sailing to the West also provided evidence for another hypothesis of Zheng He's sailing purpose. Professor Pan said: In the Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, there is a record in the Ming Dynasty: "The emperor sent Zheng He, an eunuch, to offer fragrant flowers to other countries (referring to Ceylon, now Sri Lanka) as a support ... After the ceremony, please invite the Buddha's teeth (it is said that the teeth of Sakyamuni were intact after the cremation of Sakyamuni's body, which is called Buddha's tooth relic) to the boat. This is supernatural. The emperor was ordered to deposit it on the memorial of Tan Jingang in the imperial city ... "The ninth year of Yongle was the period of Zheng He's third voyage to the West.
"Yao to participate in the third voyage, back to the Buddha's tooth, shows that the third voyage is clearly planned in advance, otherwise wouldn't send Yao such a high-level officials. The purpose is also very clear, that is,' welcome the teeth'! " Some scholars have analyzed this. As for why Judy sent a fleet, he returned to Foya from Sri Lanka not far from Wan Li. Some scholars have pointed out that this is because Judy came to power as a usurper of Wen Jian, and his main intention is to prove his orthodox position and calm the people's dissatisfaction and resistance. This practice was used by the previous emperors. The fourth voyage to the West was141365438+10 (in November of the 11th year of Yongle). Accompanied by the translator Ma Huan, he bypassed the Arabian Peninsula and made his first voyage in Malindi, East Africa 14 15 August/kloc-. The fifth voyage to the Western Ocean 14 17 June (May 15th, Yongle) was accompanied by Pu Rihe, a descendant of Pu Shougeng, passing through Quanzhou, reaching Zhancheng and Java Island, and reaching as far away as Mugugushu, Brava, Malin and other countries in East Africa.1465438+August 8th, 2009 (Yongle On the boat, it was crying, knocking on the gods for help, and the words were not finished ... calm, "and returned from the middle. In the 22nd year of Yongle, Judy died and Injong Zhu Gaochi acceded to the throne. Because of the economic emptiness, he ordered to stop sailing to the west. The seventh voyage to the West was 143 1 1 (the sixth day of December in Xuande five years). After his return, Zheng He died in Guri on the west coast of India in the eighth year of Xuande. The fleet was led by eunuch Wang Jinghong. There were 27,550 people on the seventh voyage to the West.
There are 27,670 western official scholars, flag soldiers, warriors, strong men, generals, civil servants, comprador, calligraphers and generals: 868 officers and 26,820 soldiers. We are short of seven eunuchs, ten supervisors and five supervisors. Fifty-three members' internal officials and one member's family doctor all command two members. Command 93 members, 1000 households 140 members and 100 households with 430 members. A member of Oracle, a member of Yin and Yang officials, two members of Scheeren, and a member of Yu Ding. 180 medical staff and doctors.
Zheng He's fleet of voyages to the West is a huge fleet, which is completely compiled according to maritime navigation and military organization. At that time, it was a powerful maritime mobile formation in the world. Many foreign scholars call Zheng He's fleet a task force, and Zheng He is the commander-in-chief of the navy. After a comprehensive analysis of the world history of this period, Dr. Needham, an internationally renowned scholar and British, came to the conclusion that "the navy of the Ming Dynasty may be stronger than any Asian country in history, or even any European country in the same period, so that all European countries together are inferior to the navy of the Ming Dynasty." Zheng He's large-scale and well-organized fleet to the Western Seas was established in the form of a military organization according to the maritime navigation and the tasks undertaken.
According to the Biography of Zheng He in Ming Dynasty, Zheng He was sent to 36 cities and countries: Zhancheng, Java, Zhenla, Jiugang, Siam, Guri, Malaga, Boni, Sumatra, Aru, Kezhi, Grand Gulen, Little Gulen, Xizori, Sulu, Geli and Adan. Orphans Shariwani (now the southern tip of Indochina Peninsula) and Buchwa (now Somalia), some experts and scholars believe that they have been to Australia, America, New Zealand, Antarctica and other places. Changle County, Fujian Province, is the land of Kaiyang for Zheng He's seven voyages to the West. At that time, a huge fleet was stationed here repeatedly, waiting for the wind to go out to sea. There are not only the well-preserved Tian Fei Ling Ying Monument erected by Zheng He himself, but also the "Shiyang Street" formed under the influence of his voyage to the West. The seriousness of the "Japanese invasion" in the late Ming Dynasty prompted people to commemorate and worship the gods related to the ocean. Carry out peaceful diplomacy and stabilize the international order in Southeast Asia.
Before Zheng He's voyage to the West, the international environment around China was turbulent, which was mainly manifested in mutual suspicion and competition among Southeast Asian countries. At that time, Java and Siam, the two largest countries in Southeast Asia, expanded outward, oppressed some neighboring countries, threatened Malaga, Sumatra, Zhancheng and Zhenla, and even killed the envoys of the Ming Dynasty in Sankou, intercepting the missions that paid tribute to China; Another pirate is rampant, and Southeast Asia and South Asia are rampant. They are very arrogant and the maritime traffic lines are not guaranteed. These unstable factors, on the one hand, directly affected the security of southern China, on the other hand, greatly affected the international image of the Ming Dynasty, which was not conducive to the stability and development of the Ming Dynasty. In this situation, Ming Chengzu adopted a peaceful foreign policy of "keeping China at home, looking after foreigners, treating each other as equals and enjoying peace". Zheng He was sent to lead a fleet to the Western Ocean to mediate and ease conflicts among countries by various means, so as to maintain maritime traffic safety, thus linking the stability and development of China with the surrounding areas, trying to establish a long-term stable international environment and enhance the international prestige of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, it can be seen from the mission of sending Zheng He in the Ming Dynasty that this is a mission to achieve peace.
Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas mediated contradictions, calmed conflicts, and eliminated barriers, which was conducive to the stability of surrounding areas, safeguarded the stability and maritime security of Southeast Asia and South Asia, and enhanced the reputation of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, it can be seen that Zheng He's fleet has strong military strength, but it is not used for aggression and expansion, but for peaceful purposes. In the international environment at that time, it was difficult to achieve peace without strong military strength to wipe out thousands of people in Chen Zuyi and tens of thousands of people in Alexandria.
Needham's evaluation: China, an oriental navigator, is calm and docile, does not remember old accounts, is generous and generous, and never threatens the survival of others, although he has benefactors; They are armed to the teeth, but they never conquer foreigners or build forts. Shock the enemy, contain the Mongolian forces and safeguard national security.
At that time, the threats to the security of the Ming Dynasty mainly came from two directions: pirates in the East China Sea, the remnants of the Mongolian Yuan in the north and the Timur Empire in the northwest. Japanese pirates first appeared in the late Yuan Dynasty, and there was a civil war in Japan. In order to survive, some samurai and ronin robbed the coast of China, which was very rampant during the period of Zhu Yuanzhang in the early Ming Dynasty. At that time, the Ming Dynasty had just been established, and the domestic situation was still unstable. So we concentrated on Anne, adopted a passive defense strategy in national defense, set up health centers in coastal provinces, built the Great Wall in the north, and sent troops to the border.
During Judy's period, land and sea posed a serious threat to the security of the Ming Dynasty. He changed his passive defense strategy, took the initiative to leave the plane, moved the capital in the direction of land, and personally conquered Mobei. Zheng He's navy was set in the direction of the sea, deterring and attacking the Japanese pirates and anti-Ming forces, strategically encircling from the sea and strategically containing the northwest, thus alleviating the pressure in the north of the Ming Dynasty. Develop overseas trade and spread Chinese civilization.
Zheng He's mission to the West was mainly for political purposes, but it also had certain economic purposes. There are many considerations for the country to implement such a large strategic action. During Zheng He's voyage to the West, many trade activities were carried out, mainly in three forms: the first tribute trade, which was the basic form of Zheng He's voyage to the West, had the nature of a feudal sovereign state. In this way, these small countries recognized the status of the sovereign state of the Ming Dynasty, which was the political purpose of tribute trade. At that time, all countries actively paid tribute to China. On the one hand, they were sheltered by the Ming Dynasty, on the other hand, they were richly rewarded. According to statistics, in the 22nd year of Yongle, envoys from Asian and African countries related to Zheng He's voyages to the West visited China * * * 3 times18 times, with an average of 15 times per year, which is unprecedented. Even more, the kings of Brunei, Malaga, Sulu and Gumalang personally led a delegation. At most, 18 tribute missions from different countries came to China at the same time, and three kings died in China during the visit. They will entrust China with burial. In the Ming Dynasty, the king was given a heavy burial. The second kind of official trade is an important part of Zheng He's voyage to the West. It was a trade with local businessmen with the official support of both sides and an important way to expand overseas trade in the Ming Dynasty. Zheng He's fleet was full of gifts and goods from China, such as copper coins, silk, porcelain and iron. This kind of trade can be bought and sold with copper coins in the Ming Dynasty, and many things can be bartered. The most influential is the high-five pricing method. In Guri, India, after the arrival of China's fleet, the local agent was responsible for the transaction and took the goods to trading places. The two sides negotiated the price face to face under the auspices of officials. Once an agreement is reached, they will never go back on their word. The two sides high-fived each other to show the deal. This friendly trade model has been circulated as a beautiful talk in the local area. During Zheng He's voyages to the West, especially in the last few voyages, the scale of trade expanded, following the principles of equality, voluntariness and equal exchange, and possessing some basic principles of international trade. The third kind of non-governmental trade appeared, which was driven by Zheng He's trade activities in the Western Seas to a certain extent. It is not produced by the government, but spontaneously by businessmen or people. Zheng He's voyages to the West wiped out pirates, safeguarded maritime safety, opened up navigation channels, and promoted and stimulated non-governmental trade. According to some scholars' research, Zheng He's mission did not prohibit officers and men from exchanging some China goods along the way. People in Southeast Asia like China's silk, porcelain and tools very much. As soon as Zheng He's fleet arrived, they rushed to row boats or trade at the dock, and some even invited officers and men to set up stalls in the local market. Zheng He's trade activities in the Western Seas include political trade and economic trade. Wherever Zheng He went to the West, he not only conducted overseas trade, but also spread China's advanced culture. At that time, some countries and regions in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa were backward in social development and longed for Chinese civilization. When Judy sent Zheng He to the Western Seas, she also shouldered the mission of "educating overseas countries, guiding etiquette and changing habits". Zheng He spread Chinese civilization overseas brilliantly and wrote a new chapter in the history of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. The contents of Zheng He's voyage to the West to spread Chinese civilization mainly include the following aspects: Chinese etiquette and Confucianism, calendar and weights and measures system, agricultural technology, manufacturing technology, architectural carving technology, medical technology, navigation and shipbuilding technology.
There are many stories about Zheng He circulating overseas. There are Bukit China and Lihang Baojing in Malaysia, Semarang and Semarang Temple in Indonesia, leaving the remains of Zheng He and expressing the local people's respect for this pioneer in spreading Chinese civilization. Open up marine undertakings and lay Asian-African routes.
The ocean is the cradle of life, occupying 70% of the earth's surface area. 8%, rich in resources. Since ancient times, it has been a space for human production and life, which has had an important impact on human society and is closely related to the survival, development and rise and fall of our Chinese nation. Our ancestors created the marine culture of Longshan and Baiyue in the early days. /kloc-At the beginning of the 5th century, Zheng He's voyages to the West pushed China's ancient marine industry to the peak of development and made important contributions to human marine civilization. Mainly manifested in:
First, the Asian-African intercontinental route was opened, paving the way for westerners to sail in Asia and Africa. When Portuguese navigator Da Gama reached the east coast around the Cape of Good Hope along the west coast of Africa, the locals told us that China people had visited several times decades ago. With the help of Arab navigators, they successfully reached India along the route opened by Zheng He's fleet.
Secondly, I made some marine expeditions to the western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and collected and mastered a lot of marine scientific data. Zheng He's nautical charts were drawn through a large number of marine surveys. This kind of marine exploration activity is more than 400 years earlier than the earliest marine survey recorded by British Challenger (1872- 1876).
The third is the strategic layout of the navigation area. According to his mission and marine knowledge, Zheng He chose Zhancheng, Malaga, Jiugang, Guli and Hulumos as the key areas for marine development, which is conducive to expanding the scope of overseas transportation and trade.
Zheng He's voyages to the West made many contributions to the marine cause. Zheng He's brilliant achievements belong to China and the world. He has been in the ocean for 28 years since he was in his thirties. He was 60 years old when he went to the Western Ocean for the last time. For the sake of cultural exchanges and navigation between China and foreign countries, he resolutely led the fleet out. This time, he never came back and died in Guri, India, at the age of 62, buried forever on the road of peace he opened up.
Among the China heroes with bright stars, Zheng He has attracted the attention of the international community not only because he is ahead of westerners in navigation technology, but also because he is superior to westerners in navigation technology. I think the most important aspect for people to pay attention to and study him is probably a cultural spirit represented by Zheng He: a value orientation of China people who are brave in suffering and conquering nature, and a determination to open their doors to the world for cultural exchanges.
Zheng He's spirit of loving his post and serving the country is eternal, which embodies the excellent qualities of the Chinese nation, such as openness, enterprising, peace and friendship, exchanges and cooperation, ocean management and being the first in the world. It is a valuable spiritual wealth, which is worthy of being inherited and carried forward by future generations and promoting human civilization. The main shipbuilding sites of Zheng He's treasure ship.
Zheng He's treasure ship is called a giant ship, and its main shipbuilding place is Nanjing.
Because of the large volume and complex structure of seagoing ships, there must be a considerable number of docks and workshops. According to the "Map of Zibao Shipyard from Longjiang Pass to Foreign Countries" in Wu Beizhi, Zheng He's treasure ship set off from Zibao Shipyard, its construction site, to the west. According to "Two Suspended Records of Tongjiang River", the Dushi Yamen was in Yimen, namely Baoyu Shipyard. In March of the third year of Yongle, Zheng He and others were ordered to reward and occupy the city. Longjiang Shipyard expanded southward from the original site of Longjiang Shipyard, crossed Qinhuai River, and reached Xiabao, Bao Zhong, Baoshangcun and Sanchahe areas directly. Longjiang Shipyard has a lifting department, a workshop, a business department, a tent factory and a command elevator, and the shipbuilding implements a clear division of labor and a strict system.
According to the records of Longjiang Shipyard, during the years of Hongwu and Yongle, more than 400 households from Binjiang County, Jiangxi, Huguang, Fujian, South Zhili (now Jiangsu) and other places came to Beijing (that is, Nanjing) to build ships, which were under the jurisdiction of the lifting company and compiled into four compartments. A craftsman who paddled out of a wooden box on a ship; Joiner with wooden and iron hatchbacks; Three-compartment craftsman; Four squares of brown awner.
Ming Hui Dian records a large shipyard with hundreds of craftsmen, including boatmen, carpenters, roofers and carpenters.
Another construction site of Zheng He's treasure ship is Changle, Fujian, the departure port of the fleet.
According to Changle County Records, Taiping Port is located in the western half of the county, formerly known as Majiang. ..... During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He, the eunuch, went to the Western Ocean, where he built a huge ship and changed it to Taiping Port.
After Zheng He's voyage to the West, some great ships anchored in Fujian. In the fourth year of Orthodox Church (1439), Ming Yingzong ordered the Third Division of Fujian to choose a boat within sight, so as to give Ryukyu envoys a way home.
According to statistics, during Zheng He's voyage to the West, nearly 4,000 large and small ships were built in China, with shipyards all over the country. During the Yongle period, the Ming navy had 3,800 ships, including patrol boats 1 0,350, and Nanjing Xinjiangkou had 400 large capital ships. Therefore, Joseph Needham, a famous British historian, asserted that around 1420, China's navy may surpass other Asian countries at any time in history, even surpass any European country at the same time, and even surpass the combined navies of all European countries.
China has been a developed country in shipbuilding and navigation since ancient times, and reached a new peak when Zheng He went to the Western Ocean in the Ming Dynasty. "The Biography of Zheng He in Ming Dynasty" records: "Treasure Ship No.63 is 44 feet long and 18 feet wide." It is equivalent to a modern hull about138m long and 56m wide. This huge seagoing ship fully shows that China's shipbuilding industry was far ahead of the world at that time. The ponds and waterways of "Shangsiwu" and "Xiasiwu" of Longjiang Bao Shipyard in Xiaguan, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province have proved that the ponds are east-west and connected with Jiajiang of the Yangtze River, which is convenient for treasure ships to launch. This pond is very big, about 500 meters long and 40 meters wide measured by modern methods. Longjiang Bao Shipyard is one of the large shipbuilding bases and berthing centers in Ming Dynasty. China Maritime History Research Association made a survey based on 44 articles. The size of 4× 18 sheets was restored to make a 9-mast model, 12 sail, which was used as the standard ship type and scale of Zheng He's treasure ship at that time. However, some experts believe that according to the records of the rubbings of Nanjing Jinghai Temple, and the data such as Zheng He's Fleet Map, the first of Tian Fei Classic in the 18th year of Yongle in Ming Dynasty, Zheng He's treasure ship can be restored to 19 feet long and 4 feet wide. A ship with a displacement of about 1 100 tons. Some experts believe that this is only a small and medium-sized treasure ship, and the large treasure ship should still maintain its original size. Judging from the remains, the ships built by Bao Shipyard should be flat-bottomed. A gondola has a shallow draft and can sail under the pressure of waves. Its head and tail can be tilted, and it is safe and convenient to dock. Zheng He comprehensively applied astronomical navigation, compass navigation, landmark navigation, bathymetry, sediment measurement, etc. For example, in the History of Xifan, it is recorded that "the wood is cut into a plate, and the word" dry branch "is engraved in the book, and the floating needle in the water points to the boat." This navigation technology was very advanced in the world at that time.
The important achievement of Zheng He's voyage to the West was that Zibao Shipyard drew a map of foreign countries sailing from Longjiang Pass. The whole map adopts the traditional landscape painting method of China, and is accompanied by recorded needle track and star map crossing the sea. It started from Nanjing, reached the farthest point of Slow Bazaar in Kenya, East Africa, until about four degrees south latitude, including Asia and Africa, and collected more than 500 place names, of which about 300 came from Asian and African countries. The distribution of routes, voyages, berthing ports, reefs and shoals is recorded quite accurately, and many new navigation channels opened by Zheng He during his voyage to the West are recorded in detail. There are more than 20 important navigation sites and 42 main routes. It fully proves that Zheng He's voyage to the Western Seas has effectively promoted China's developed maritime career and enriched China people's understanding of the world.
According to Zheng He's nautical chart, Zheng He's use of hydrological needle (24/48 azimuth compass navigation) combined with star-pulling (astronomical navigation) was the most advanced navigation technology at that time. Zheng He's fleet navigated with a compass during the day and kept its course by observing the stars and the water compass at night. By reasonably solving the problems of fresh water storage, ship stability and anti-sinking, Zheng He's fleet was able to "keep the Yun Fan high and the stars gallop day and night" under the sinister conditions of "Hong Tao meets the sky and the waves are like mountains", with few accidents. During the day, flags of various colors are hung and waved in the agreed way to form corresponding semaphores. At night, lanterns are used to reflect the sailing situation. In case of fog and rain with poor visibility, gongs, horns and horns are also used for communication. Zheng He's navigation skills in the Western Seas are mainly manifested in three aspects: 1. Astronomical navigation technology. China can determine the position and navigation position of ships by observing the sun, moon and stars long ago. Zheng He's fleet combined the astronomical positioning of navigation with the application of navigation compass, which improved the accuracy of determining the position and course of the ship. People call it "picking stars". By observing and positioning with the "star pulling board" and measuring the height of the sky, we can judge the position and direction of the ship and determine the course. This technology represents the world advanced level of astronomical navigation in that era. 2. Geographical navigation technology The geographical navigation technology of Zheng He's voyage to the West is based on marine scientific knowledge and nautical charts, and the navigation route of the ship is determined according to the records in the chart and needle book by using navigation instruments such as navigation compass, log and bathymeter. When sailing, the navigation route is determined, which is called needle track. The compass error shall not exceed 2. 5 degrees. 3. The reason why Zheng He's nautical charts were handed down from generation to generation benefited from the inclusion of Mao in Wu Beizhi, a writer in the late Ming Dynasty. The original picture is a zigzag long scroll, which was changed to calligraphy when Wu Bei was included. From right to left, there are 20 pages of pictures, 40 of which are * * *, and finally two pictures of "crossing the ocean to lead the stars" are attached. More than 530 place names were recorded in the chart, including 300 foreign place names and the farthest east African coast 16. Cities, islands, navigation marks, beaches, reefs, mountains and air routes are all marked. Among them, Nansha Islands (Wansheng Shitangyu), Xisha Islands (Shitang) and zhongsha islands (Shixing Shitang) are clearly marked. 1947, the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of China named the South Island Reef after Zheng He and others to commemorate this great navigator. Zheng He's nautical chart is the earliest existing nautical atlas in the world. Compared with the most representative Portland charts in the west at the same time, Zheng He's nautical charts have a wide range and rich contents. Although its mathematical accuracy is low, its practicability is better than Portland diagram. British Joseph Needham pointed out in his book "History of Science and Technology in China" that Mills and Bladden made a detailed study on the accuracy of China's nautical charts. Both of them are familiar with the entire coastline of Malay Peninsula, and they spoke highly of the accuracy of China's nautical charts. The brilliance of China's advanced navigation technology reflected by Zheng He's voyage to the West shows the great wisdom of the ancient people in China, thus creating Zheng He's voyage to the West.