A Chinese treasure ship (Chinese: 寶船/宝船; pinyin: bǎochuán) 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 are at least twice as long as the largest European ships at the end of the sixteenth century. The British scientist, historian and sinologist Joseph Needham stated in his monumental research work Science and Civilisation in China that the ships were between 400 feet to 600 feet in length — greater than the Greek tessarakonteres of 3rd century BC, which were reported to be as long as 128 m (425 ft). Treasure ships' dimensions are debated 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. Although a claimed treasure ship rudder has been unearthed in Nanjing, its size is no larger than rudders known to have been used in sub 60 metre Jiangsu trading ships of the 1930s.

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