Zhenghe’s Shipyard
So, what’s up with this ship and the admiral? Why the fuss?
The Zhenghe Shipyard is now one of the tourist attractions here in Nanjing. Apart from giving us a glimpse of the majesty of the imperial fleet during the Ming Dynasty, this Shipyard cum park is a nice place to go to if you’ve strolled other parks in Nanjing and want something different.
But.
First read the book. This controversial book tells you why the fuss. It seems that the eunuch himself was a really great man who could have gotten China the gold medal for shipping navigation. This guy may be even more historicaly relevant (is there such a thing?) than Columbus and Megellan.
For now, we have a ship to prove it. Check it out when you have the time.
Oh yes, on how to get there. The name of the place is Treasure Shipyard Site 宝船厂遗址 [bao3chuan2chang3yi2zhi3]. It’s located west of the Qinhuai River on Lijiang Road 漓江路 [li4jiang1lu4].
Pay 30yuan to get in. Bring your student card to get a discount.
