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Chinese map claims to back theory that China discovered America
AFP ^ | 1/17/06

Posted on 01/17/2006 5:00:33 PM PST by presidio9

Chinese map collecter has found a copy of an ancient map he claims proves controversial theories that famed Chinese mariner Zheng He was the first person to discover America and circumnavigate the world.

Liu Gang said the map supports the recent theories that Chinese discovered America before Christopher Columbus and charted parts of the world such as Antartica and northern Canada long before Western explorers.

"The map shows us that Chinese discovered the world 70 years before Columbus," Liu said in a public unveiling of the chart. "The map tells us that Zheng He discovered the world."

The map is dated to 1763 but is also clearly marked that it is a copy of a map made in 1418. That date coincides with Zheng He's voyages, which spanned from 1405-1432.

Liu bought the map for about 500 dollars from a map collector in Shanghai in 2001, but only realized its importance after he read Gavin Menzies' best-selling book: "1421: The Year China Discovered The World".

In the book Menzies theorizes that previously undiscovered world maps drawn up by Zheng He's admirals were copied by European map makers and were extensively used during the voyages of great Western explorers, including Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco Da Gama and James Cook.

Much of Menzies' theories are supported by his knowledge of ocean currents, continental trade winds and star navigation that he learned during his life as a British naval commander.

Despite its prominence on best-seller lists, many historians have criticized Menzies' theories for the lack of accompanying evidence.

China's Ming Dynasty banned ocean-going exploration and trade on pain of death after Zheng He's final voyage, largely due to the death of Emperor Zhu Di, who sponsored the voyages.

The huge costs of Zheng's fleets, which often numbered hundreds of ships, were another factor.

The Chinese records of Zheng He's voyages have largely been lost, either purposely destroyed as part of the ban on ocean-going navigation or due to a fires that ravaged Beijing's imperial palace in the 1420s.

Liu expressed his belief that a lot of the records still exist, but Chinese scholars have largely ignored them.

"I sincerely believe that other maps exist and books exist (that contain evidence of Zheng He's world travels) but no-one has been paying attention to them," Liu said. "It is my purpose to try to wake these (scholars) up."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 1421; 1492; ageofsail; ancientnavigation; china; christophercolumbus; columbus; columbusday; columbusohio; commoncore; commoncorenavigation; discovery; gavinmenzies; godsgravesglyphs; lasiodermaserricorne; leifericson; navigation; newworld; shroudofturin; tobaccobeetle; zheng; zhenghe
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A copy of a map that collector Liu Gang claims proves controversial theories that famed Chinese mariner Zheng He was the first person to discover America and circumnavigate the world.

1 posted on 01/17/2006 5:00:33 PM PST by presidio9
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To: presidio9

This is going to tick of the Arab Muslims that claim they originally founded America lol.


2 posted on 01/17/2006 5:02:40 PM PST by mosquewatch.com ("The enemy is anyone who will get you killed, no matter what side they are on.")
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To: presidio9

Has Dan Rather accepted this documents authenticity?


3 posted on 01/17/2006 5:04:00 PM PST by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: presidio9
They oughta put a "Not for Navigational Purposes" warning on that map. I smell an impending lawsuit.

=)
4 posted on 01/17/2006 5:04:17 PM PST by Termite_Commander (Warning: Cynical Right-winger Ahead)
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To: presidio9

Does this mean that Columbus is off the hook and the Chinese will be trashed for sullying the virgin land that was Pre-Columbian America?


5 posted on 01/17/2006 5:04:54 PM PST by Arm_Bears (You are the New Day.)
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To: presidio9
Well, if that's from 1418 it's pretty advanced. But it's from 1720.
6 posted on 01/17/2006 5:05:20 PM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: VadeRetro

1763. My short term memory isn't what it used ... what was I going to say?


7 posted on 01/17/2006 5:06:20 PM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: mosquewatch.com

We know for a fact that the Romans were here multiple times during the time of Christ/Augustus. And, obviously, the Vikings were here too. The point is not who got here first, it's who's "discovery" led to permenant settlement. After Zheng He, the Middle Empire basically sealed it's borders and went into decline until the opium wars. A worthy lesson for many on this website.


8 posted on 01/17/2006 5:07:10 PM PST by presidio9 (Nolite id cogere, cape malleum majorem)
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To: presidio9

Just looking at that map, I'm a little skeptical. If that is supposed to be a copy of the map drawn by a Chinese sailor who crossed the Pacific, how did he get the east coast of Central America to be somewhat correct, not to mention the St. Lawrence? Are they claiming that he crossed the Americas overland, or sailed around Cape Horn?


9 posted on 01/17/2006 5:07:21 PM PST by A. Goodwin
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To: presidio9
Chinese map collecter has found a copy of an ancient map he claims proves
controversial theories that famed Chinese mariner Zheng He was the
first person to discover America and circumnavigate the world.


Oh well, just like with gunpowder.
The Chinese discovered it, didn't know what to do with it.

(which is really weird, because all the Chinese I've worked with
are pretty danged smart.)
10 posted on 01/17/2006 5:09:54 PM PST by VOA
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To: presidio9

This may be true but Americans discovered Chinese Take Out. So there.


11 posted on 01/17/2006 5:10:33 PM PST by RTINSC (There is no guarantee of Success but Failure is guaranteed if you are not successful..)
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To: presidio9

notice how the california baja penninsula is indicated much like that of early maps drawn by european explorers. hmmmm.


12 posted on 01/17/2006 5:13:42 PM PST by pipecorp (Let's have a CRUSADE! , the muslims never stopped. a 2010 useless reply odessy.)
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To: presidio9

Who cares who happened to tread on the place and when. I know who made something of it.


13 posted on 01/17/2006 5:14:12 PM PST by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopechne is walking around free)
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To: presidio9

On the map of NA there's an indentation that would represent Hudson's Bay ... a little more to the north east an island that might represent Greenland. I can assure you no Chinese explorer ever mapped this area of NA ... this map is a geographers version of the Turin cloth depicting Christ ... a total fabrication.


14 posted on 01/17/2006 5:16:02 PM PST by BluH2o
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To: presidio9

what about this piece of wood i have...it shows a map of Newfoundland and i think part of the Yukon carved on it...signed L. Eriksson...

oh yeh...when did Columbus discover Ohio?


15 posted on 01/17/2006 5:18:16 PM PST by kajingawd (" happy with stone underhead, let Heaven and Earth go about their changes")
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To: pipecorp

I am more interested in the fact that He (the Chinese guy, not God) supposedly has Antarctica on the map 300 years before Cook discovered it for Europeans.


16 posted on 01/17/2006 5:18:28 PM PST by presidio9 (Nolite id cogere, cape malleum majorem)
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To: BluH2o
Armed with "The Thoughts Of Chairman Mao", Chinese mariner Zheng circumnavigated the world.
17 posted on 01/17/2006 5:19:42 PM PST by MiHeat
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To: BluH2o

How do you know the Shroud is a "total fabrication?" Athiest scientists who have spent their careers studying it are not able to say that.


18 posted on 01/17/2006 5:20:12 PM PST by presidio9 (Nolite id cogere, cape malleum majorem)
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To: presidio9

Very good point indeed!


19 posted on 01/17/2006 5:21:36 PM PST by mosquewatch.com ("The enemy is anyone who will get you killed, no matter what side they are on.")
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To: presidio9

Menzies' theories are entertaining and well thought out. Unfortunately, with the lack of hard empirical evidence, Menzies is forced to stare too hard and everything he sees gets bent a little. The Chinese backing up his claims don't help him in any positive way.


20 posted on 01/17/2006 5:22:44 PM PST by crazyhorse691 (Diplomacy doesn't work when seagulls rain on your parade. A shotgun and umbrella does.)
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