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Primary sourceBook15th century

Xingcha Shenglan

Fei Xin · 15th century

An eyewitness account by soldier Fei Xin describing the foreign lands reached during Zheng He's treasure voyages, undertaken in the Yongle Emperor's name.

Written by a soldier on voyages sent out in his name, this account describes the lands reached under his imperial authority.

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About this source

What it is

The Xingcha Shenglan ('The Overall Survey of the Star Raft') is a Chinese work written by Fei Xin, who served as a soldier on several of Admiral Zheng He's treasure voyages. It describes the foreign places the Chinese mariners visited.

Why it matters

Fei Xin's account, influenced by Ma Huan's similar work, is one of the few surviving firsthand records of the voyages that the Yongle Emperor sent across the Indian Ocean under Zheng He's command. Such eyewitness accounts give historians rare direct evidence of what the Chinese expeditions actually saw and encountered, beyond official court records.

Why it matters

Look closer

  • Why might a soldier's account of foreign lands differ from an official court record?
  • What does it tell you that this book was 'rewritten and illustrated' before being presented to the court?
  • What kinds of details might an eyewitness include that a later historian writing from a distance would miss?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Yongle Emperor on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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