"Set Cloud-white Sails and Cross the Surging Seas"——The 600th Anniversary of Zheng He''''s Sea Voyages

THE image of a magnificent fleet setting sail on a voyage of good will is as heart-stirring now as it was 600 years ago. It was in the year 1405 that more than 200 ships got into formation, white sails pristine against the blue sky and aqua sea, and waited for the order to set sail out of Liujiagang Port, Taicang, Jiangsu Province. Officials and local people gathered on the quay as dragon dances snaked in, out and     

Zheng He's Westward Voyages and the“Porcelain Route”——In Commemoration of the 600th Anniversary of Zheng He’s Westward Voyage

P eople in Southeast Asian, Arabian and Afri- can countries are quite fond of Chinese por-celain, especially those made in Jingdezhen. Forinstance, among the porcelain imported by Egyptin 2002, 96% were from China. The one whoestablished this close connection between Chi-nese porcelain and people in these areas is ZhengHe, who lived 600 years ago. This year marks the 600th anniversary ofZheng He’s westward voyage. He was a greatnavigator and diplomat of China in the Ming Dy-nas…