Chinese treasure ship A Chinese treasure ship ( ) was a type of large wooden ship in the fleet of admiral Zheng He , who led seven voyages during the early 15th - century Ming Dynasty . Scholars disagree about the factual accuracy and correct interpretation of accounts of the treasure ships . The purported dimensions of these ships at 137 m ( 450 ft ) long and 55 m ( 180 ft wide ) and a capacity of 2800 tons are at least twice as long as the largest European ships at the end of the sixteenth century . In terms of wooden ships of all time this is second in length only to the Greek Tessarakonteres of 2nd century AD which were reported to be as long as 128 m ( 425 ft ) . Treasure ships ' dimensions are disputed on practical engineering grounds , with some suggesting they were as short as 61 – 76 m ( 200 – 250 feet ) or that they could only have been used on special occasions in the relative safety of the lower Yangtze River . Accounts . The modern understanding of the ships derives from empirical and theoretical knowledge of the technical limitations of wooden sailing ships , historical Chinese records and accounts from European travelers who visited China around this time . However , there is debate amongst scholars about how these records should be interpreted . Some accounts suggest that treasure ships may have first appeared as early as the Song dynasty ( 960 – 1279 ) . The modern analysis of the shape and structure of these ships is based on the contemporary " Tian Fei Jing " ( The Worship of the Celestial Spouse ) and the " Wubei Zhi " ( The Records of Armaments and Military Provisions ) . If the accounts can be taken as factual , Zheng He ' s treasure ships were mammoth ships with nine masts and four decks , capable of accommodating more than 500 passengers , as well as a massive amount of cargo . Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta in their translated accounts described multi - masted ships carrying 500 to 1000 passengers . Niccolò Da Conti , a contemporary of Zheng He , was also an eyewitness of ships in Southeast Asia , claiming to have seen 5 masted junks weighing about 2000 tons . Zheng He ' s fleet included 300 ships , including 62 treasure ships , some of which were said to have been 137 m ( 450 ft ) long and 55 m ( 180 ft ) wide . There are even some sources that claim some of the treasure ships might have been as long as 180 m ( 600 ft ) . On the ships , there were more than 28 , 000 people , including navigators , explorers , sailors , doctors , workers , and soldiers . Chinese records assert that Zheng He ' s fleet travelled extensively , sailing as far as East Africa . Description . The Treasure Ships were recorded to have a size of 44 " zhang " , 4 " chi " , i . e . 444 " chi " . This was no coincidence . There are four cardinal directions , four seasons , and four virtues . The number four was an auspicious association for treasure ships Some of the drydocks at Longjiang were 27 to 36 m ( 90 to 120 feet ) wide , but two were 64 m ( 210 feet ) wide , which is big enough to build a 50 m ( 166 - foot ) wide ship . Compared with other ships , treasure ships were wide in ratio to their length as typical with fuchuan . As a result , they achieved stability created by the V - shaped hull , the long keel , and the heavy ballast . The keel consisted of wooden beams bound together with iron hoops . In stormy weather , holes in the prow would partially fill with water when the ship pitched forward , thus lessening the violent turbulence caused by waves . Treasure ships also used floating anchors cast off the sides of the ship in order to increase stability . The stern had two 2 . 5 m ( 8 foot ) iron anchors weighing over a thousand pounds each , used for mooring offshore . Like many Chinese anchors , these had four flukes set at a sharp angle against the main shaft . Watertight compartments were also used to add strength to the treasure ships . The ships also had a balanced rudder which could be raised and lowered , creating additional stability like an extra keel . The balanced rudder placed as much of the rudder forward of the stern post as behind it , making such large boats easier to steer . Unlike typical fuchuan , the treasure ships had nine staggered masts and twelve square sails , increasing its speed . Treasure ships also had 24 cast - bronze cannons with a maximum range of 240 to 275 m ( 800 – 900 feet ) . However , treasure ships were considered luxury ships rather than warships . As such , they lacked the fuchuan ' s raised platforms or extended planks used for battle . Criticism . Some scholars argue that it is highly unlikely that Zheng He ' s ship was in length , some estimating that it was 110 – 124 m ( 390 – 408 feet ) long and 160 – 166 feet wide instead while others put them as 61 – 76 m ( 200 – 250 feet ) in length , since in later historical periods ships approaching the extreme sizes claimed for the treasure ships ( such as HMS " Orlando " and the schooner " Wyoming " ) were unwieldy and visibly undulated with the waves , even with steel braces . One explanation for the alleged size of these colossal ships was that the largest 44 Zhang treasure ships were merely for a display of imperial power by the Emperor and imperial bureaucrats on the Yangtze River when on court business , including when reviewing Zheng He ' s actual expedition fleet . The Yangtze River , with its calmer waters , may have been navigable for such large but unseaworthy ships . Zheng He would not have had the privilege in rank to command the largest of these ships . The largest ships of Zheng He ' s fleet were the 6 masted 2000 - liao ships . This would give burthen of 500 tons and a displacement tonnage of about 800 tons . Fate of the treasure ships . Zheng He returned from his voyages to find a new emperor , whose court was uninterested , even hostile , to the continuation of his naval adventures . After Zheng He ' s voyages , the treasure ships were decommissioned , and sat in harbours until they rotted away . Some suggest that the Emperor ordered the treasure ships and records to be burned , although exact information on their fate is not known . Replica . The story of the treasure ships has captured popular imagination , both in China and in the West . In fact , a replica of a treasure ship was announced in 2006 to be completed in time for the 2008 Olympic Games . In 2010 , the press showed some pictures of the replica of this size in the process of construction in Nanjing . The ship is to be ready for sailing by 2013 .