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In ancient times, silk from China found its way overland to India, the Middle East and Rome, along what became known as the Silk Road. A trading route across the sea was also 【小题1】 along the coasts of the Indian Ocean centred around Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Here, merchants from China and many other places met to 【小题2】 trade deals, which also led to more 【小题3】 of each other’s cultures. Over the centuries, further trading allowed more exploration of the regions to the west of China, as 【小题4】 in Du Huan’s Record of My Travels in the eighth century.
Later, the Ming Dynasty further 【小题5】 relations with these regions. Between 1405 and1433, seven large fleets sailed west on voyages of trade and exploration. These fleets were a sight to behold and were in a league of their own at that time. Under the 【小题6】 of Zheng He, they set sail from the South China Sea across the Indian Ocean to the mouth of the Red Sea, and then to the east coast of Africa. African 【小题7】 families sent gifts such as giraffes as gestures of friendship in 【小题8】 for gold, silk, and spices. Although China 【小题9】 from further expeditions after 1433, these land and sea routes remained 【小题10】 channels between other cultures for centuries.
