On December 17, 2004, the newly revamped Zheng He Navigation Hall opened to tourists in Changle City of east China's Fujian Province .
Changle was the stationing and anchoring base as well as the starting point of the massive fleet of Zhen He's Seven Voyages to the Western Seas. Right in front of the navigation hall, there is a ten-meter-high stone sculpture of Zheng He, which is always a huge tourist attraction.
In recent years, Changle's local government has been making extensive efforts in repairing all the historical sites that are connected to Zheng He. Apart from the Zheng He Navigation Hall and the sculpture, many other tourist sites have also been built, including Zheng He Square, Zheng He's Precious Ship, the Altar for Offering Sacrifices to the Sea, and so on.
All of these sites are intended for the commemoration of the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's first voyage to the western seas in 1405.
(ChinaCulture.org June 16, 2005)
