| 1421:The Year China Dicscovered America | |
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| Aug 2, 2005 13:37 |   |
 | Someone say Zheng He was the first one to find America. What do you think of it? |
| Aug 2, 2005 14:31 | #1 |
| I agree with the opinion ,but at that time the Ming Dynasty had no conception and ability to occupy the land ,the emperor just want to splurge his power and richness rather than search for territory or fortune. |
| Aug 2, 2005 16:11 | #2 |
| There is a book : 1421 - The Year China Discovered The World. It was written by Gavin Menzies after 10 years of research. He believe China discovered the Americas (North & South America) 70 years before Christopher Columbus. |
| Aug 2, 2005 17:07 | #3 |
| Columbus brought massacre to the Native Americans,but he did contribute a lot to history. Zhenghe just showed the advanced seafaring and shipbuilding technology of ancient China ,did not explore the value of the America. Both of them were great navigator,but Columbus promoted the world history.So ,I think it is not important who first discovered America but who explored the value of the land . |
| Aug 3, 2005 13:32 | #4 |
| well, i think Zheng He and Columbus represented different culture. For Zheng He, confucianism highlights peace but power. In Chinese history, except Huns and Mongolians, there was seldom invasion into other countries. |
| Aug 3, 2005 21:42 | #5 |
| Hey, what about the nordic settlements in Canada built by the Vikings already 500 years before Columbus even thought to take a cruise??? Never heard of it? |
| Aug 4, 2005 09:10 | #6 |
| Oh , I've never heard of it ~~ What's that ? |
| Aug 4, 2005 14:09 | #7 |
| No, I never heard of it! Maybe you can give us an explanation. Though there is some guess about the Incans and the Chinese. |
| Aug 4, 2005 14:21 | #8 |
| It depends on what do you mean by "discover", the indigenes lived there for thousands of years and the unique cultures were rooted as well. Was it because the GLORIOUS powers founded there to make the "discover" seemingly so important and the descendants of the "discoverer" are feeling so proud of it? We never know what on earth were really undermined and supressed before they developed into one of the most unique cultures in the world by the GREAT discovers. |
| Aug 4, 2005 19:28 | #9 |
| Hi Rita, if you see it like that, than the first people in America (todays Indians) came from Asia. Buildings like Mesa Verde are really fascinating. But than the first people in Asia are thought to be from Africa, where - in the end - possebly all people come from.... So the first rediscover by explorers was by Nordic tribes (Danish, Swedish...) also known as Vikings around the year of 1000. There are old legends about Leif Eriksson (not the one with the mobile;-) discovered a place he called Vinland. They sailed to Canada via Newfoundland and than down along the coast. But there was no proof if it really was North America - because their settlements did not last very long and they did not leave any carvings in stones like stupid tourists at the Great Wall (well, they could not find any walls, I guess;-) Anyway in 1978 there were finally settlements discovered in L?se aux Medows in Canada which finally proof those legends to be correct. 1000 years ago.... |
| Aug 5, 2005 09:27 | #10 |
| Hello Elcabron, Thank you! I am not good at history :-) (It seems I have a lot to learn:)). I also heard about the saying that first people in Asia were thought to be from Africa, which was doubtful, I think, very doubtful. It also depends on when exactly people think human beings could possibly called as "human beings", the earliest record of people -- ape-man of paleolith age, is Yuanmou man, found in Yunnan, China, research showed that Yuanmou man lived in China 1.7 million years ago. They used simple tools, built simple huts etc. I do not think Yuanmou man are complete man :-) they are just the transition of real man and ape, if people still think the ape in asia were from africa, I think that's just migratory instinct of animals, not consciousness of men's. Rita The upper two in this picture are teeth fossils and the bigger one down the picture is the cutting tool. -- pic from Huaxia.com  |
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