200 Yuan 600th Anniversary of Zheng He's Voyage

Zheng He's seven voyages between 1405 and 1433 reached as far as the East African coast, predating European contact with those regions by decades. The Ming court abruptly ended the expeditions after Yongle Emperor's death, and subsequent administrations actively suppressed the records — the original sailing charts were reportedly destroyed by a Confucian official who considered the voyages a waste of imperial resources. By the 15th century, China had deliberately turned inward.

The 2005 commemorative series appeared alongside a broader state effort to rehabilitate Zheng He as a symbol of peaceful Chinese engagement with the wider world. KM#1625 is one of several denominations issued across gold and silver in that program.