特辑：郑和下西洋
Definition: Zheng He’s Voyages to the Western Oceans
1405–1433年，中国航海家郑和奉明朝皇帝之命，率领庞大船队七下西洋，沿着“海上丝绸之路”对亚非两大洲几十个国家进行了友好访问，最远抵达非洲东海岸。郑和下西洋是中国古代“海上丝绸之路”空前的盛事，也是世界航海史上的非凡壮举。郑和远航，是传播中华文明的和平之旅，促进了各国之间的友谊，推动了中外文化交流。直到今天，海外一些国家依然保留着许多与郑和相关的文物遗迹。2005年，在纪念郑和下西洋600周年之际，中国政府把郑和下西洋的首航纪念日7月11日定为“中国航海日”。
Between 1405 and 1433, under orders of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, Chinese mariner Zheng He led a huge fleet to the western oceans for seven times. They paid goodwill visits to dozens of countries in Asia and Africa along the “Maritime Silk Road”, the farthest place reached being the east coast of Africa. Zheng He’s voyages to the western oceans was an unprecedentedly great event of the “Maritime Silk Road” in ancient China, and also an extraordinary feat in the history of world navigation. Zheng He’s voyage was a journey of peace to spread Chinese civilization, which facilitated the friendship with all these countries and promoted the Sino-foreign cultural exchanges. Even today, some of these foreign countries still preserve many cultural relics related to Zheng He. In 2005, on the occasion of commemorating the 600th anniversary of Zheng He’s voyages to the western oceans, the Chinese government designated July 11, the day commemorating Zheng He’s first voyage to the western oceans, as “China’s Maritime Day”.
【图版】《郑和航海图》
成图于洪熙元年(1425)至宣德五年(1430)，郑和第六次下西洋后全体下洋官兵守备南京期间。全图以南京为起点，最远至非洲东岸的蒙巴萨。图中标明了航线所经亚非各国的方位，航道远近、深度，礁石、浅滩，以及航行方向的牵星高度。该图是15世纪前，中国关于亚非两洲最详尽的地理图籍。
【照片】《郑和行香碑》拓片
【图版】《天妃灵应记》碑
为明宣德六年(1431)郑和第七次出使西洋于福建长乐泊船候风时建立的，碑文记述了郑和七下西洋的时间和所经诸国。目前，该碑保存在长乐“郑和史迹陈列馆”。