SEMARANG, Indonesia, Aug. 5(Xinhuanet)-- Six centuries ago, Chinese Ming Dynasty navigator Zheng He managed to lead a mighty armada of ships to venture across the South China Sea and then turn west to Ceylon, Arabia, and East Africa.

The fleet consisted of giant nine-masted junks, by dozens of supply ships, water tankers, transports for cavalry horses, and patrol boats. The armada's crew totaled more than 27,000 sailors and guards.

Loaded with Chinese silk and porcelain, the junks visited ports around the Indian Ocean. There, Arab and African merchants exchanged the Chinese silk and porcelain with their spices, ivory,medicines, rare woods, and pearls so eagerly sought by the Chinese imperial court.

Seven times, from 1405 to 1433, the treasure fleets set off for the Asia-Africa voyages. And all this took place half a century before the first Europeans, rounding the tip of Africa in frail Portuguese caravels, had discovered the Indian Ocean.

Miracle was made largely due to Zheng's wisdom and bravery as well as China's advanced ship-building technique.

Among the fleet, there were great treasure ships over 300-feet long and 150-feet wide, the biggest being 440-feet long and 186-across, capable of carrying 1,000 passengers. Most of the ships were built at the Dragon Bay Shipyard near Nanjing City, the remains of which can still be seen today.

Zheng He's first fleet had 27,870 men on 317 ships, including sailors, clerks, interpreters, guards, artisans, doctors and meteorologists.

On board were large quantities of cargo including silk goods, porcelain, gold and silverware, copper utensils, iron implements and cotton goods.

The fleet sailed along China's coast to Champa close to Vietnam and, after crossing the South China Sea, visited Java, Sumatra and reached Sri Lanka by passing through the Strait of Malacca. On the way back it sailed along the west coast of India and returned homein 1407.

Envoys from Calicut in India and several countries in Asia and the Middle East also boarded the ships to pay visits to China.

Zheng He's second and third voyages taken shortly after, followed roughly the same route.

In the fall of 1413, Zheng He set out with 30,000 men to Arabia on his fourth and most ambitious voyage. From Hormuz he coasted around the Arabian boot to Aden at the mouth of the Red Sea.

The arrival of the fleet caused a sensation in the region, and 19 countries sent ambassadors to board Zheng He's ships with gifts for Chinese Emperor Yong Le.

In 1417, after two years in Nanjing and touring other cities, the foreign envoys were escorted home by Zheng He. On this trip, he sailed down the east coast of Africa, stopping at Mogadishu, Matindi, Mombassa and Zanzibar and may have reached Mozambique.

The sixth voyage in 1421 also went to the African coast.

Emperor Yong Le died in 1424 shortly after Zheng He's return. Yet, in 1430 the admiral was sent to a final seventh voyage. Then 59 years old, Zheng He revisited the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and Africa and died on his way back in 1433 in India. Enditem