Zheng He's Treasure Fleet

Timeline

1. 1405–1407Longjiang Treasure Shipyard, Nanjing · NanjingThe Yongle Emperor ordered Zheng He to lead the treasure fleet out from Liujiagang; the first voyage passed through Champa and Java to the west coast of India, establishing an official ocean-going transport and prestige-display system centered on giant wooden sailing ships.
2. 1413–1422Indian Ocean routes · Indian OceanThe third through sixth western voyages extended further to the Persian Gulf and East Africa; the fleet's scale and navigational organization reached their peak, with the treasure ship serving as the flagship carrier of tribute trade and diplomatic transport across the Indian Ocean.
3. 1431–1433Liujiagang (Liuche Town, Taicang) · TaicangThe Xuande Emperor ordered Zheng He, Wang Jinghong, and others to lead the seventh western voyage, revisiting the countries of the Western Seas and erecting stone steles; the fleet completed its return in 1433, the last official treasure ship ocean voyage.
4. 1433–1500Longjiang Treasure Shipyard, Nanjing · NanjingAfter the seventh voyage the court no longer organized large-scale western voyages, and the treasure fleet rapidly shrank as a transport system; the tightening maritime prohibition and the shift of fiscal priorities northward brought an end to the construction and maintenance of ocean-going treasure ships.