Christopher Columbus is said to be the founder of the new world, the Americas. Making an agreement with King Ferdinand & Isabella, Spanish Monarchs, he was sent on countless voyages in the search to prove the Earth was circular rather than flat. His voyages lead to the exploration of the Americas giving us the opportunity to live in the United States today. Although, his voyages influenced the world we live in he wasn’t the first to travel across seas. Cheng Ho, Chinese sailor conducted several voyages across Asia under the rule of Yongle, also known as Yung-Lo. Sailing on seven voyages, where he learned about various cultures and traded resources influenced the …show more content…
Gaining the trust of Lo, he was appointed to command the seven passages. Between the years 1405 and 1433, admiral Cheng Ho commanded seven voyages from China to southeast Asia, India, Arabia, the Persian Gulf and the eastern coast of Africa. The voyages were discreet undertakings that demonstrated China 's extraordinary technology and skill. Involving up to 317 ships, the largest of which were treasure ships, predicted to have been between 390 and 408 feet long and more than 160 feet wide. Including a crew of 28,000 men on board. Predominantly peaceful, most members of the crew were troops who were well equipped to defend the fleet and its welfare. The countries visited were asked into participating in the tribute system. A system developed by Yongle, where its participants were to go to the capital with goods to formally met Emperor Yongle and Kow-tow, to bang head. Meaning that when they met the emperor they were to kneel and touch the ground with their heads, showing their acknowledgment that China is all powerful. The tribute system allowed China to both establish their vigorous power and a trading system. Later becoming one of the most admired trading capitals of the world fulfilling the dream of …show more content…
Cheng Ho allowed for the Chinese to develop their economic status. China has matured into a largely populated and advanced country. In the year 1978, Chinese shifted and reformed their economy from a centrally-planned to a market- based. This shift allowed for a rapid economic and social development. The world Bank states the Chinese “GDP growth has averaged approximately 10 percent a year—the fastest sustained expansion by a major economy in history—and has lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty. China achieved all the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015 and made a major contribution to the success of the MDGs globally.” Becoming the second largest economy globally. The tribute system offered the bases for the T’ang dynasty to form the hu-shih chien, the supervision of trade market. Providing a ladder to the development of the Kwangchow trade system which possessed more detailed customs in the agreements established with foreigners. Which later lead to the system seen today developed on 300 principal treaties between china and Britain, France, the US, Russia, and Japan. The minister of foreign trade Li Chiang elaborated on China’s view of trade stating that “foreign trade is necessary to the development of our national economy. Concurrently through trade, China can increase support in the economic sphere with countries. Thus, benefiting each other’s economic construction and reinforcing