男女羞羞视频在线观看,国产精品黄色免费,麻豆91在线视频,美女被羞羞免费软件下载,国产的一级片,亚洲熟色妇,天天操夜夜摸,一区二区三区在线电影
  Home>News Center>China
       
 

Oceanic odyssey remains a treasure
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-07-08 01:51

Question for the ages: Who circumnavigated the globe 87 years before Italian explorer Cristopher Columbus (1451-1506) and 114 years before Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521)?

Answer: Zheng He (1371-1433) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The ancient Chinese mariner travelled to the West seven times from 1405 to 1433, sailing more than 50,000 kilometres and visiting 37 countries and regions.

Historical studies suggest his expeditions were unsurpassable among his contemporaries in terms of the size of the fleets, the navigation technology, the duration and organization.


A waxwork of ancient Chinese mariner Zheng He (1371-1433) [newsphoto]
That tells why Zheng He is still remembered today as one of the world's greatest navigators and a source of pride for the whole Chinese nation.

To prepare to mark the 600th anniversary of Zheng's first voyage next year, the country has set up a directorate headed by Minister of Communications Zhang Chunxian to stage a massive celebration.

On July 11, 1405, Zheng set sail on his first oceanic odyssey with a fleet of 208 ships and 27,800 sailors.

Xu Zuyuan, vice-minister of communications, told a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office that colourful commemorative activities have been planned for the anniversary.

They include a commemoration conference to be held in Beijing next July, an exhibition and a TV feature programme on Zheng's extraordinary navigational feats.

Meanwhile, Shanghai will hold an international maritime expo between July 8 and July 15, 2005 and a series of national contests, seminars and international symposiums will be organized around the country between now and 2005.

Xu said the festivities are will "carry forward the fine Chinese tradition of loving peace and fostering good-neighbourly relations to promote world peace and social development.

"During his seven voyages to the West, Zheng He treated other countries with friendship and respect instead of occupying a single piece of land, establishing a fortress or seizing any treasure," Xu noted.

The official extended invitations to all interested parties from across the globe to participate in the commemoration and to share their research on the royal eunuch daring expeditions.

During his 28-year naval career, Zheng sailed from China to places in the South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Africa, according to historical documents.

The flagship of his fleet, named the "Treasure Ship," was a four-storey, nine-masted vessel measuring 440 feet, nearly 1.5 times the length of a football fields and five times that of Columbus's ship.

Zheng He's journeys also stimulated a number of important maritime inventions, including central rudders, watertight compartments and various new types of sails.

In fact, Zheng He is so renowned in the world's marine navigation history that some researchers have argued it was Zheng rather than Columbus who discovered America first.

Gavin Menzies, a retired British Royal Naval Submarine Commanding Officer, put forward the theory in his book, "1421: The Year China Discovered the World."

In the book published in 2002, Menzies cited overwhelming evidence to support his concept that Chinese ships under the command of Zheng reached America 70 years before Columbus, who sailed across the Atlantic to reach America in 1492.

Asked to comment on the engrossing concept, vice-minister Xu said, Menzies' idea "is still under academic research and an uniformed conclusion has yet to be reached on it."

Xu, however, expressed his sincere admiration and appreciation about Menzies' extensive research on Zheng navigational pursuits.



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Bird flu case rated 'isolated' occurrence

 

   
 

HK's health chief quits over SARS

 

   
 

Japan's sea exploration sparks tension

 

   
 

Power shortage: 6,400 factories to go off-line

 

   
 

Flooding kills 288 in 22 areas across China

 

   
 

Bribery involved in Xi'an lottery fraud

 

   
  Bird flu case rated 'isolated' occurrence
   
  Bribery involved in Xi'an lottery fraud
   
  Oceanic odyssey remains a treasure
   
  `Care For Girls' gaining momentum
   
  Online games to clean up their action
   
  Sewage fees not job of gov't?
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  When will china have direct elections?  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 黑河市| 青河县| 泰来县| 嘉峪关市| 浮山县| 双辽市| 喀什市| 武鸣县| 英吉沙县| 潮安县| 广南县| 黄陵县| 大姚县| 闻喜县| 潮安县| 贵港市| 虎林市| 永丰县| 方正县| 凤翔县| 张北县| 东城区| 沧州市| 科技| 墨竹工卡县| 林州市| 新和县| 霍邱县| 三穗县| 镶黄旗| 泽库县| 精河县| 资源县| 会东县| 吉安市| 泊头市| 乌鲁木齐县| 定远县| 古田县| 宝山区| 周口市| 孝义市| 黄浦区| 保靖县| 龙岩市| 双牌县| 泽州县| 和林格尔县| 温宿县| 茂名市| 涿鹿县| 将乐县| 诏安县| 都昌县| 祁东县| 中方县| 罗平县| 安达市| 平乡县| 剑阁县| 启东市| 日喀则市| 涡阳县| 柳州市| 班戈县| 南通市| 永安市| 佛冈县| 通许县| 吴江市| 昌图县| 宣化县| 苏尼特右旗| 彰武县| 夹江县| 丹巴县| 临清市| 固镇县| 栾川县| 台南市| 永春县| 虹口区|