A bust of Admiral Cheng Ho greeted us as we entered the front door.
We were rather late - 30 minutes to closing time but the guide graciously said he would be able to take us on a whirlwind tour of the museum.
Our guide pointing out some interesting facts about Cheng Ho's birth place in Uzbekistan.
Bronze gongs with chinese motifs.
Rice mill. We couldn't believe how smooth and easy it was to turn the grinder.
We liked the rainforest atmosphere in this alley
Diorama of Cheng Ho's fleet of over 300 ships in Flying Swallow formation. What a formidable sight it must have been with a crew of 28000 as they sailed the Western Ocean.
Chinese drums were used to communicate between the ships during voyages. The boys were allowed to beat the drums to hear the loud sound it emitted.
An ancient map detailing the routes that Admiral Cheng Ho took around the globe.
30 minutes was not enough to fully appreciate this museum that is housed in what is thought to be a warehouse set up by Cheng Ho himself.
I found it interesting the way Cheng Ho went to different continents with gifts from China such as silk and porcelain promoting goodwill and that Cheng Ho's voyages preceded Colombus and Vasco de Gama by 60 years.
Read more about Cheng Ho's voyages here.
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