Indonesian scholars credit Zheng He for building many mosques in Java and Malacca. There are also Zheng He temples in these islands, where festivals are held to commemorate his visit.

Zheng He was a charismatic diplomat and a skilled navigator who set foot in what is now India, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Maldives, Somalia, Yemen, Zanzibar, Kenya, and Oman.

Zheng He's fourth and fifth travels explored the Persian Gulf and ports along the East African coast, while hist last voyage in 1431 brought him to Siam (now Thailand) and Malacca, according to a ...