Gong Zhen
Encyclopedia
Gong Zhen was a fifteenth century translator and writer famous for his association with the Chinese admiral Zheng He
.
in present day Jiangsu Province during the Ming Dynasty
(1368–1644), Gong Zhen’s dates of birth and death are not recorded but it is known that his father was a soldier. Gong Zhen was first appointed as an advisor to the Ming Emperor Xuande
(1425–1435), then in 1431 he became secretary to the Chinese admiral Zheng He
.
He accompanied Zheng He
on his voyages to the Western Ocean until 1433. His role was as advisor, translator and diarist in the various countries that Zheng He’s treasure fleet visited.
Gong Zhen is best known as the author of "The Annals of Foreign Nations in the Western Ocean" published in 1434.
Zheng He
Zheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
.
Life
Born near NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
in present day Jiangsu Province during the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
(1368–1644), Gong Zhen’s dates of birth and death are not recorded but it is known that his father was a soldier. Gong Zhen was first appointed as an advisor to the Ming Emperor Xuande
Xuande Emperor
The Xuande Emperor was Emperor of China from 1425 to 1435. His era name means "Proclamation of Virtue".-Biography:...
(1425–1435), then in 1431 he became secretary to the Chinese admiral Zheng He
Zheng He
Zheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
.
He accompanied Zheng He
Zheng He
Zheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
on his voyages to the Western Ocean until 1433. His role was as advisor, translator and diarist in the various countries that Zheng He’s treasure fleet visited.
Gong Zhen is best known as the author of "The Annals of Foreign Nations in the Western Ocean" published in 1434.