- When China ruled the seas, he was the face of a nation. Master of the seas. A forgotten hero. Nat Geo's own legend retraces the epic journey of Zheng He. The Silk Road by Sea. A photographer's journey. And a warning for all great powers.
- THIS is the saga of two global ambassadors from two different chapters in world history. Two figures united in their pursuit of new discoveries. Exploring untouched frontiers. Bridging east and west. And fostering peace and friendship through mutual understanding. From Asia, Admiral Zheng He, China's greatest naval explorer, commander of one of the largest naval fleets every assembled by an empire - a leader on the brink of conquering the world in the early 1400s. And from America, Michael Yamashita, one of the world's most acclaimed photojournalists, National Geographic's master storyteller and renowned expert on Asia - THE only one who has retraced the epic journeys of TWO of the world's greatest explorers: Marco Polo from the west, to Zheng He from the east. Historians have long been intrigued by Admiral Zheng He. He was, as Michael Yamashita describes, "China's greatest explorer who you never heard of." Zheng He sailed 40-thousand miles across the South China seas and the Indian Ocean decades before Columbus and Vasco da Gama made it to the coast of Africa. And for Michael Yamashita, the only way to truly understand these voyages was to make them himself...across the China Sea, from Southeast Asia to Africa, and via India, on to the Middle East In this program, Michael Yamashita reveals the dramatic stories behind the stills, after capturing precious pictures of today and testimony of what happened 600 hundred years ago. Zheng He embarked on a total of seven voyages during the great Ming Dynasty. And during these 3 decades on the oceans, Zheng He visited 30 countries, gathering riches beyond imagination, scientific knowledge, fame and power for his emperor. When trade flourishes, so does culture. The Treasure Fleet was much more than a vehicle of power and trade. They brought worlds together on an entirely new scale. BUT history also remembers Zheng He's epic voyages as a tragic story of China's rise and fall. A cautionary tale of arguably one of the worst foreign policy blunder sever made: China's decision to abandon Zheng He's expedition, to withdraw and isolate from the world, all of which led to China's long decline for centuries until recent modern history. Today, more than six centuries after Zheng He's first voyage, the "Forgotten Admiral" is getting his long deserved recognition, as we uncover the great legacy that he bequeathed to the world. Join us now as we embark on a new journey, between past and present, with "Zheng He: Tracing the epic voyages of China's greatest explorer," with Michael Yamashita, in his own words, and through his mind's eye.—Farland Chang
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Top Gap
By what name was Rise and Fall: China's Greatest Explorer (Zheng He) (2024) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer