Wikipedia: Zheng He

Zheng4 He2 (鄭和 or Cheng Ho) (1371-1435) was a famous Chinese mariner and explorer? who, from 1405? to 1433?, explored Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java, Ceylon?, India, Persia, the Persian Gulf, Arabia?, the Red Sea as far north as Egypt, and Africa as far south as the Mozambique channel. His fleet comprised 30,000 men and seventy ships at its height. He brought back to China many trophies and envoys from more than thirty kingdoms -- including King Alagonakkara? of Ceylon, who came to China to apologize to the Emperor.

Zheng He was a eunuch? and close confidant of the Yung-lo? Emperor of China, the third emperor of the Ming? Dynasty. His missions flattered the Yung-lo Emperor's vanity, were impressive demonstrations of organizational capability and technological might, but did not lead to significant trade: Zheng He was an admiral and an official, not a merchant.

In 1424? the Yung-lo Emperor died. His successor, the Hung-hsi? Emperor, decided to curb influence of the eunuchs at court. Zheng He made one more voyage under the Hung-hsi Emperor, but after that, Chinese naval exploration ended.

The "Qeng Ho" space-faring society in Vernor Vinge's science fiction novels A Fire Upon the Deep and [A Deepness in the Sky]? are named for Zheng He.

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