Chinese Junk (Treasure Ship)

The massive vessels of Zheng He's 15th-century fleet/Historical

The treasure ships (baochuan) of Admiral Zheng He's fleet (1405-1433) were among the largest wooden vessels ever built. While exact dimensions are debated, Chinese records describe the largest ships as approximately 120 m long and 50 m wide with nine masts, though many historians consider these exaggerated and estimate more conservative dimensions of 60-75 m. Even at the smaller estimates, these ships dwarfed anything in contemporary European navies. Zheng He's fleet of 300+ ships explored Southeast Asia, India, the Persian Gulf, and East Africa decades before European voyages of exploration.