Zheng He's Giant Ships

In the news: The story

Read a 113-word news story: China's treasure fleet and the giraffe that crossed the sea

Six hundred years ago, China built the biggest ships in the world. People called them treasure ships. They had many sails and hundreds of sailors. Next to them, a normal fishing boat looked very small. A man called Zheng He was the captain. Between 1405 and 1433 he made seven long voyages. He sailed to India, to Arabia, and to the east coast of Africa. He carried silk, porcelain and gifts for kings. The ships came home with new things. Spices, wood, strange animals. One ship brought a giraffe to the emperor. Nobody in China had seen a giraffe before. Then, after 1433, China stopped the big voyages and the ships slowly disappeared.

Vocabulary: Words to know

7 items

Discussion: Look at the picture

3 discussion questions

• What can you see in the picture? What is big and what is small?
• Is the sea quiet or dangerous today? How do you know?
• Would you like to sleep on this ship for one night? Yes or no?

Discussion: Your journeys

3 discussion questions

• What is the longest journey you have made? Where did you go?
• Do you like boats? Why, or why not?
• You visit a new country. What gift do you take?

Discussion: Big questions, simple words

3 discussion questions

• Why do you think the emperor wanted a giraffe?
• China stopped the voyages. Was that a good idea or a bad idea?
• Is it better to travel far, or to stay near your family?