Zheng He's Compass Navigation

Timeline

1. 1101–1301Quanzhou port · FujianIn the Song and Yuan periods seagoing ships were commonly fitted with wet compasses, and systems of needle courses and watch reckoning gradually formed, laying the navigational foundation for large-scale Ming ocean voyages.
2. 1405–1424Liujiatai, Taicang · JiangsuZheng He's fleet combined compass courses with star-height methods into a systematic ocean bearing procedure, with treasure ships sailing between the South China Sea and Indian Ocean ports by needle courses.
3. 1421–1430Indian Ocean route (Ceylon to Calicut segment) · South AsiaThe seventh western voyage, restarted after 1421, was the farthest; compass combined with star-height latitude determination kept course stable on long transoceanic legs, representing the peak application of Ming compass navigation.