Zheng He's Seventh Voyage to the Western Seas

Timeline

1. 1431Nanjing · NanjingIn the sixth year of Xuande, the Xuande Emperor ordered Zheng He, Wang Jinghong and others to lead over twenty thousand troops and sailors, departing Nanjing's Longjiang on treasure ships. The fleet carried imperial edicts, gold, silver, bronze and iron wares, silk and porcelain, to bestow gifts and investitures on the Western Seas states.
2. 1431–1432Changle, Fujian · ChangleThe fleet anchored at Changle port in Fujian awaiting favorable winds, where Zheng He erected a stone stele to record the event. They then set sail across the South Sea, passing Java and Malacca to reach the Indian Ocean, sending envoys to pay tribute at Calicut and Hormuz, and dispatching fleet detachments as far as Mogadishu, Brawa, Malindi and other states.
3. 1432–1433Calicut (Kozhikode) · KeralaAt Calicut, the fleet bestowed bronze seals and official caps and robes, establishing the local king's tributary status. Detached squadrons sailed south to Mogadishu, Malindi and other places on the East African coast, bringing back exotic animals such as qilin (giraffes), demonstrating the far-reaching prestige of Ming civilization.
4. 1433Nanjing · NanjingIn the seventh month of the eighth year of Xuande, the fleet returned to Nanjing. Zheng He died of illness on the homeward voyage, and the court ordered a tomb built for him at Niushou Mountain in Nanjing. This voyage was the final chapter of the Ming's seven voyages to the Western Seas; no official treasure ship expedition of comparable scale was ever organized again.