Zheng He’s Voyages — Interactive 3D Route

A route tracing Zheng He’s Ming dynasty treasure voyages from China through Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa, highlighting major ports across the Indian Ocean trade network.

This trip's route plotted on an interactive 3D globe, stop by stop. Prefer a plain written itinerary? See the 2D trip itinerary for the same trip.

1. Nanjing, China

   1405-07-11

   organizes the Ming treasure fleet for the first voyage

   1 photo

2. Walk: Nanjing, China → Liujiagang, China

3. Liujiagang, China

   1405-07-20

   departs the lower Yangtze staging port near modern Taicang

   1 photo

4. Ferry: Liujiagang, China → Changle, Fujian, China

5. Changle, Fujian, China

   1405-08-15

   takes on coastal sailors, supplies, and ritual support

   1 photo

6. Ferry: Changle, Fujian, China → Champa, Vietnam

7. Champa, Vietnam

   1405-10-01

   reaches the central Vietnamese coast on the South China Sea route

   1 photo

8. Ferry: Champa, Vietnam → Java, Indonesia

9. Java, Indonesia

   1405-11-15

   enters the Javanese trading world of Southeast Asia

   1 photo

10. Ferry: Java, Indonesia → Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia

11. Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia

    1405-12-10

    secures the approaches to the Strait of Malacca

    1 photo

12. Ferry: Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia → Malacca, Malaysia

13. Malacca, Malaysia

    1406-01-10

    waits at the key monsoon harbor between China and India

    1 photo

14. Ferry: Malacca, Malaysia → Samudera-Pasai, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

15. Samudera-Pasai, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

    1406-02-05

    visits a Muslim port linking Sumatra to the Indian Ocean

    1 photo

16. Ferry: Samudera-Pasai, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia → Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

17. Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

    1406-04-01

    stops at the island crossroads of Indian Ocean religion and trade

    1 photo

18. Ferry: Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka → Kollam, India

19. Kollam, India

    1406-05-01

    reaches a Malabar Coast pepper port

    1 photo

20. Ferry: Kollam, India → Kochi, India

21. Kochi, India

    1406-05-20

    meets rulers and merchants on India's southwest coast

    1 photo

22. Ferry: Kochi, India → Calicut, India

23. Calicut, India

    1406-06-15

    reaches the major western destination of the early voyages

    1 photo

24. Ferry: Calicut, India → Nanjing, China

25. Nanjing, China

    1407-10-02

    returns from the first voyage after reaching Calicut

    1 photo

26. Ferry: Nanjing, China → Maldives, Maldives

27. Maldives, Maldives

    1413-12-01

    crosses island waypoints toward Arabia on later voyages

    1 photo

28. Ferry: Maldives, Maldives → Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran

29. Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran

    1414-02-15

    reaches the wealthy Gulf entrepot linking India, Persia, and Central Asia

    1 photo

30. Ferry: Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran → Muscat, Oman

31. Muscat, Oman

    1414-03-05

    follows the Arabian Sea coast toward the Gulf and Red Sea routes

    1 photo

32. Ferry: Muscat, Oman → Aden, Yemen

33. Aden, Yemen

    1414-04-01

    arrives near the Red Sea entrance and western Indian Ocean exchange

    1 photo

34. Ferry: Aden, Yemen → Jeddah, Arabia, Saudi Arabia

35. Jeddah, Arabia, Saudi Arabia

    1414-05-01

    connects with Red Sea routes toward the holy cities

    1 photo

36. Ferry: Jeddah, Arabia, Saudi Arabia → Nanjing, China

37. Nanjing, China

    1415-08-12

    returns from the fourth voyage after reaching Hormuz and East Africa routes

    1 photo

38. Ferry: Nanjing, China → Mogadishu, Somalia

39. Mogadishu, Somalia

    1417-01-15

    reaches the Swahili Coast's wealthy Islamic trade network

    1 photo

40. Ferry: Mogadishu, Somalia → Barawa, Somalia

41. Barawa, Somalia

    1417-02-10

    visits another East African port tied to Indian Ocean commerce

    1 photo

42. Ferry: Barawa, Somalia → Malindi, Kenya

43. Malindi, Kenya

    1417-03-15

    marks one of the farthest accepted destinations of the treasure fleets

    1 photo

44. Ferry: Malindi, Kenya → Nanjing, China

45. Nanjing, China

    1419-08-08

    returns from the fifth voyage after visits to Arabia and the Swahili Coast

    1 photo