A modern wall painting of Zheng He, Chinese explorer, admiral and diplomat, Kunyang (the explorer's birthplace), Yunnan Province (1990).

Zheng He (1371 - 1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was born Ma He to a Muslim family, and later adopted the conferred surname Zheng from Emperor Yongle. Zheng commanded expeditionary voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. His larger ships stretched 120 meters or more in length. These carried hundreds of sailors on four tiers of decks. (Photo by: Jim Goodman/Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)