Zheng He’s Voyages to the West

This film (drama)Also known as郑和下西洋，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2009Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating7.9(For reference only)。

During the Hongwu period of the Ming dynasty, a young man named Ma He was recruited from Yunnan to serve as a eunuch in the palace, becoming a companion in the residence of the Prince of Yan. The Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, had great ambitions and was tempered during his years on the border. Particularly after befriending the monk Yao Guangxiao, he expanded his horizons. He increasingly found himself at odds with his father, the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, over the maritime prohibition policy. In his days accompanying Zhu Di in guarding Beiping and the borders, Ma He gradually matured, his qualities laying a foundation for future accomplishments. The crown prince Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne and began to cut down on feudal power to strengthen imperial authority, with Zhu Di being the first targeted. To survive, Zhu Di was forced to feign madness, enduring humiliation. Zheng He’s sworn sister, Song Lianxin, was also betrayed by treacherous officials. In a desperate situation, Zhu Di resolutely led 800 brave men to revolt, initiating the "Jingnan" campaign for the throne. During the war, Ma He distinguished himself alongside Yao Guangxiao and Zhang Yu, especially in the Battle of Zhengcunba, where he bravely rescued Zhu Di from peril, earning the Prince’s trust. After Zhu Di ascended the throne as the emperor, he sought to clear his name from accusations of treason and was determined to follow in the footsteps of the great emperors Han Wudi and Tang Zong, creating a prosperous era. At the outset of his reign, he granted Ma He the surname "Zheng" and quietly changed Zhu Yuanzhang's maritime prohibition policy, appointing the 35-year-old Zheng He as the Grand Coordinator of the Ming treasure fleet for the voyage to the West. On July 11, 1405, in the third year of the Yongle era, Zheng He led over 27,800 men from the Nanjing and Taicang regions to set sail from the Tai Ping Port in Fujian. The vast Ming fleet commenced a 28-year-long voyage overseas to promote national prestige and seek trade. Zhu Di was the decision-maker and organizer of the great maritime expedition. From the very first day the fleet set sail, he commanded, controlled, and supported this grand journey from the land. He ordered shipbuilding in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Hubei, and expanded the production of export goods such as porcelain, silk, and tea nationwide. At the same time, he took the opportunity of the great voyage to implement the Yongle Revival, began compiling the "Yongle Encyclopedia," and dredged the Grand Canal. Empress Xu also advocated for frugality, personally encouraging sericulture despite illness. Thus, the state quickly achieved revival, providing a continuous material guarantee for the voyage to the West. On his first voyage to the West, Zheng He restored the Ming Dynasty's governance over the islands of the South Sea, naming them Jinghong Island, Yongle Archipelago, and others. An important mission of Zheng He’s fleet was to deal with the notorious pirate Chen Zuoyi, who had terrorized the South Sea region for many years, leaving his victims helpless and closing maritime routes to the Ming. Zheng He and his fleet outsmarted and outmaneuvered him, ultimately ridding the South Sea nations of this scourge. The Ming treasure fleet visited South Sea and South Asian countries such as Champa, Java, Sumatra, Ceylon, Guri, and Old Port, promoting peaceful diplomacy wherever they went, rapidly expanding the Ming Dynasty's influence overseas, especially forging exceptionally close ties with the peoples of present-day Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and South India. When the fleet returned, Zhu Di was not swayed by victory. His focus shifted from merely "promoting national prestige" or secretly searching for the whereabouts of the Ming monarch to a determination to support an unprecedented maritime enterprise with a more open mindset. Hence, both the emperor and the common people’s perceptions transformed, hastening the emergence of a commodity economy. In that era, maritime prowess represented a country's overall strength. A flourishing navy symbolized national prosperity, technological advancement, and cultural progress. With Zheng He’s fleet navigating toward the overseas world, this monarch not only pursued the goal of "submitting all four seas, welcoming nations from afar" but also aimed to reopen the maritime Silk Road that had appeared since the Tang and Song dynasties, widely disseminating the achievements of Chinese civilization to Southeast Asia and the African continent. On this foundation, Zhu Di initiated a series of larger projects. One of them was the decision to change Beiping's name to Beijing and command large-scale construction of the new capital, including what is now the Forbidden City, which still fundamentally rests on the groundwork laid in the early Ming period. Zhu Di instructed Zheng He to always uphold moral superiority over Western nations in their interactions, refraining from bullying the weak. Economically, he favored the light-handed approach, granting various benefits to other nations, establishing the demeanor of a major power. At that time, the Ming fleet played a significant role in maintaining regional peace. During this period, Zheng He led his fleet to establish warehouses in countries like Malacca and Hormuz, extensively engaging in trade with Arabs, Persians, and Europeans. When the usurper Aleyeku of Ceylon betrayed his trust and attempted to hijack the Ming fleet, Zheng He was forced to retaliate out of necessity, but he always adhered to the principle that "wise generals do not pursue war," using wisdom and tolerance, justice and power to resolve the crisis between the two nations. The death of Empress Xu devastated Zhu Di. Fortunately, the Ming fleet returned to sea once again, especially when Zheng He brought the arrogant Aleyeku before the Ming court to await the emperor's verdict on his life or death; Zhu Di decided to handle this case with Chinese civilization, ultimately inspiring the violent king to reform his ways.