Zheng He，s last stop in Eastern Africa was Malindi (nowMalindi in the east coast of Kenya). There he was warmlyreceived by the king. In 1415， Malindi sent envoys withan auspicious beast kylin to China and Emperor Yongleand his ministers held a grand reception ceremony forthem at the Fengtian Gate of the royal court. Zheng He，sfleet wanted to go even further to the south but they werealready close to the Pemba Island and the Pemba Straitwhere there was nothing there but dense forests. ZhengHe listened to the advice of local people and turnedeastward to the Indian Ocean from Malindi in the springof 1419. His fleet passed the Maldives， Ceylon， Sumatraand Malacca and returned to China in July. The voyagelasted for one year and nine months.
When Zheng He returned from his fifth voyage to thewestern oceans， he brought along envoys from 17 Asianand African countries， as well as many rare birds andanimals， including ostriches from Hormuz， giraffes fromAden， giraffes and lions from Magaadicio， camels fromBrava and Indian antelopes from Java.
The arrival of envoys from Asian and African countriesand the presentation of rare birds and animals were thefeature of Zheng He，s fifth voyage to the western ocean.
国向东横渡印度洋返航，经由溜山、锡兰山、苏门答剌、满剌加等地，于七月间回到国内，历时一年零九个月。
郑和第五次下西洋回国时，随船队来中国访问的有亚非17个国家的使臣及呈献的珍禽异兽。这些珍禽异兽有忽鲁谟斯的鸵鸟、阿丹的长颈鹿、木骨都束的长颈鹿和狮子、卜剌哇的骆驼、爪哇的麋里羔兽等。
郑和所访亚非国家的外交使臣纷沓而至及珍禽异兽的呈献，是第五次下西洋的特色。
The sixth voyage to the western oceans(1422-1423)
In 1421， Zheng He reached 50. In his first five voyagesto the western oceans， he had become an experiencednavigator. In the winter of that year， to escort envoys of 16countries including Hormuz， Dhufar， Mogadishu， Ra，s，Brava， Calicut， Cochin， Jiayile， Ceylon， Lambri， Sumatra，Aru， Malacca and Ganbali home， he was assigned to starthis sixth voyage to the western oceans， bringing withhim the state credentials of Emperor Yongle and a largenumber of gifts.
In the spring of 1422， Zheng He set out to sea， passingthrough numerous countries that he had already visitedseveral times such as Champa， Siam， Malacca， Banggela，Ceylon， Cochin， Calicut， Ganbali， Suoli， Aden， Dhufar，Ra，s， Mogadishu， Brava and Malindi. This time he alsopassed through places like Manbasa (today，s Mombasain Kenya) and Juba (known as Giumbo in SouthernSomalia). Mombasa was located in the south of Malin，which indicates that Zheng He went even further in hissixth voyage， focusing mainly on visiting eastern Africancountries like Magadoxo， Malindi and Juba.
Zheng He reached countries along the east coast ofAfrica in his fifth and sixth voyages， which exerted agreat influence on them. The kings all sought to establishrelations with China， either by sending envoys to visit
第六次下西洋（1422-1423）
1421年，郑和已满50岁。经过五次下西洋的实践，他已成为一位具有丰富航海经验的航海家了。就在这年冬天，他奉命第六次下西洋，主要使命是护送忽鲁谟斯、祖法儿（位于今阿拉伯半岛西部沿岸的佐法儿，Dhufar）、木骨都束、剌撒、卜剌哇、古里、柯枝等16国使臣回国，并带永乐皇帝的国书和大批礼物备用。
郑和于1422年春出航，历经占城、暹罗、满剌加、锡兰山、古里、祖法儿、木骨都束、麻林等地，这都是他数经之地。这次出海，郑和还到了东非的慢八撒、竹步等地。慢八撒即今肯尼亚的着名海港蒙巴萨港，竹步即今索马里南部朱巴河口的准博 (Giumbo)。慢八撒位于麻林之南，换言之，第六次下西洋航程比第五次更远，以东非国家木骨都束、麻林、竹步为访问重点。
郑和第五、六次下西洋，都到达非洲东岸诸国，对这个地区影响很大。许多国家纷纷与中国明朝通好，或派使臣访华，或国王亲率使团访华，甚至郑和没有到过的一些国家如速麻里儿（今索马里）等，也
China or by leading the diplomatic missions to Chinathemselves. Even countries that Zheng He had never beento， Somalia， for instance， sent envoys and kindnesses toChina.
Ending his visit to the East Africa， Zheng He，s fleetcrossed the Indian Ocean， passed by islands like Sumatraand Ceylon and returned to China in early 1423， merelyten months later. He brought with him envoys from 16countries including Hormuz， a total of 1200 people.
Each of his first few voyages had taken around a yearor two， but this one lasted only ten months because hehad a mission to complete. He had to escort envoys of 16countries back home and pick up another 16 who soughtto visit China. It was unnecessary to linger in thosecountries for a long time.
The seventh voyage to the western oceans(1431-1433)
After the first lunar month of 1421， Emperor Yonglemoved the capital to Beijing and the former capital，Nanjing， was turned into a vice capital. Three years later，in 1424， Emperor Yongle died. Crown prince Zhu Gaochisucceeded to the throne and changed the name of the erato Hongxi. Knowing nothing about how to run a country，the new emperor lent a ready ear to the slander fromXia Yuanji， the minister of finance， and put an end to the
派使臣到中国访问，带来非洲人民的友谊。
结束了对东非的访问，郑和船队复偕忽鲁谟斯等16国访华使臣1200人横渡印度洋，经锡兰山、苏门答剌等地，于1423年初回到国内，耗时仅十个月。
郑和船队历次下西洋，每次往返需一两年左右，而这次仅用十个月时间，这与他护送16国使臣回国、迎接16国使臣来访的使命有关，没有必要在各国停留很长时间。
第七次下西洋（1431-1433）
1421年正月起，永乐皇帝迁都北京，原来的京师南京成为陪都。三年后（1424年），永乐皇帝病崩，太子朱高炽继位，改年号洪熙。不会治理国家的洪熙皇帝登基后，听信户部尚书夏原吉的谗言，宣布停止下西洋活动。1425年，洪熙皇帝命令郑和带领下西洋的官兵守备南京。洪熙皇帝一年后去世，太子朱瞻基
voyages to the western oceans. In 1425， he ordered ZhengHe and his men to guard Nanjing. He died a year later，however. Zhu Zhanji， his son and heir， came into powerand changed the name to Xuande. The year 1426 was thefirst year of the Xuande reign.
During the six years when Zheng He guarded Nanjing，he devoted most of his efforts to supervising the buildingof the Nanjing Grand Bao，en Temple and its Glazed
继位，年号宣德，1426年为宣德元年。
郑和在南京任守备的六年间，主要精力用于督造南京大报恩寺及琉璃宝塔。雄伟壮观的大报恩寺及琉璃宝塔被誉为“中世纪世界七大奇观”之一。停止下西洋后，西洋各国与中国明朝的关系渐渐疏远，使节
Pagoda. The majestic temple and the glazed pagoda wereregarded as one of the seven wonders of the middle ages.The halt of Zheng He，s voyages strained relations withwestern countries. Exchanges of envoys and mutual tradestopped. China，s political influence overseas was greatlyweakened. To improve the situation， in the sixth lunarmonth of 1430， Emperor Xuande ordered Zheng He toundertake his seventh voyage to the western oceans.
