Replica under construction in Nanjing
Zheng He1433), , was a Hui court eunuch, mariner, explorer, diplomat, and fleet admiral during China‘s early Ming Dynasty. Zheng commanded expeditionary voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. The decision by the Ming emperor to abandon these voyages was a tragic error in world history since it left the East open to European exploitation and colonization.