Cross-strait youth retraced Zheng He's path to the West Ocean time is how much time

Taiwan's "Mountain and River Exploration Association" head Xu Haipeng announced in Beijing on the 8th: the association initiated the "Zheng He eight Western" activities, will be selected from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong and Macao dozens of members of the expedition, in the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's journey to the Western Pacific Ocean. In July, 2005, they will set sail to the sea and navigate the path of Zheng He's voyage to the West Ocean again.

The Center for Frontier History

of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences will undertake the task of academic advisor for this activity, and send experts in Ming history and Maritime Silk Road studies to join the expedition **** with the expedition team in a relay manner.

Li Sheng, director of the research center, told reporters that this activity is not only inheriting the Chinese tradition of exploration, but also continuing the tradition of historical and scientific expeditions. He hoped that the experts would have some important academic insights in the expedition, "They will certainly make discoveries after fieldwork, and perhaps unravel many historical mysteries in Ming history."

Taiwan's "Mountain and River Exploration Association" held a press conference on the 8th in Beijing on this activity. Xu Haipeng said at the conference, this activity will build a special Chinese wooden sailboat, from Taicang City, Jiangsu Province, East Liuhe Town, is expected to 3 years, sailing more than 33,900 nautical miles (equivalent to more than one and a half laps around the Earth's equator). The route of the voyage synthesizes the routes of Zheng He's seven trips to the West, and is expected to visit more than 20 countries and more than 50 ports, with the entire event expected to cost nearly 40 million RMB.

The Mountain and River Expedition Association was founded in 1999, and in 2001, it selected three young Taiwanese to complete a 1.1 million-kilometer hiking expedition along the same route that Genghis Khan took when he traveled west. They started from Ulaanbaatar and traveled through 11 countries and regions, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Russia, and Ukraine, for an 18-month historical and cultural expedition.

Xu Haipeng said in an interview, "Our great ancestors have long ago marked down so many meaningful routes for us, and following in their footsteps is, I think, much more interesting than just hiking or rafting."

He said he hoped the event would commemorate the spirit of Zheng He, the first person to sail in the East, who sailed in peace and mutual benefit, and at the same time show the Chinese people's desire for self-improvement in exploration and love of peace.