The Asian Monsoons and Zheng He's Voyages to the Western Ocean

摘要

The expedition of Zheng He's fleet to the Western Ocean in the first half of the 15~(th) century is an important event in the history of navigation, which has attracted the broad attention of domestic and foreign scholars from different fields. This paper reveals the relation between Zheng He's voyages and the Asian Monsoon from a geographical perspective. Historical records show that Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Ocean were precisely organized and successfully carried out due to careful consideration of the conditions and periodical patterns of the Asian tropical and subtropical monsoon. Details such as fleet routes, sailing schedules, wind-waiting points, divergent and rendezvous points were painstakingly planned and arranged in advance by the organizers of the expedition, who all paid close attention to the changing patterns of the Asian Monsoon.