Zheng He (A.D.1371-1435), known as "Eunuch San Bao ", was a great Chinese Mariner at the beginning of the 15th century. He was born in a Muslim family at HeDai Village of YangZhou in YunNan Province (located in JingNing County of YunNan Province today), and his original surname was Ma. Because of his great merits in civil war of "Jing Nan" launched by Zhu Li to seize power, later, when Zhu Li won the war and ascended the throne, Zheng was assigned the post of Imperial Eunuch in the royal court with the title of "Eunuch San Bao " and was given a new surname of Zheng.

From 1405 to 1433, during his 28 year naval career in 7 voyages, Admiral Zheng visited more than thirty countries, traveled around Asia and the east tip of Africa to Red Sea. While traveling, he built friendship and peace relationship with countries along his voyages, traded goods and exchanged culture products with these countries, and won great reputation by people of these countries. Today, throughout Southeast Asia, many legends and relics about Zheng He still exist.

Zheng He's fleet had more than 200 ships, among which big ships were 146.5 m long 59 m wide, medium ships were 122 m long 50 m long. His voyages were 80 years earlier than Columbus's discovery of New Continent and 100 years before Maggellan's circumnavigation. Zheng He earned great achievement on navigation history: on his voyages he drew detailed charts, used floating compasses, opened see routes across Atlantic Ocean and Asia and Africa. He was a great forerunner mariner in Middle Ages World.