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1421

the Year China Discovered America
Apr 15, 2018akirakato rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Produced by PBS in 2004 based on the 2003 book of the same title by Gavin Menzies, this 113-minute documentary examines the mystery surrounding the sailing exploits of the legendary Admiral Zheng He (鄭和; 1371–1433). Zheng commanded expeditionary voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. His larger ships stretched 120 meters or more in length. These carried hundreds of sailors on four tiers of decks. These voyages were long neglected in official Chinese histories but have become well known in China and abroad since the publication of Liang Qichao's "Biography of Our Homeland's Great Navigator, Zheng He" in 1904. Although Gavin Menzies's theory appears profoundly interesting, there seems to be a lack of definitive proof. In any case, it is an entertaining yet thought-provoking documentary.