Hong Bao
Hong Bao was a Chinese eunuch sent on overseas diplomatic missions during the reigns of the Yongle Emperor and Xuande Emperor of the Ming dynasty. He is best known as the commander of one of the detached squadrons of Zheng He's fleet during the seventh voyage to the Indian Ocean.
Early career
According to the History of Ming, in 1412, Hong Bao was sent by the Yongle Emperor as the envoy to Thailand.In 1421 Hong Bao participated in the sixth voyage of Zheng He, during which foreign envoys were transported back to their countries, as far as Ormus.
Hong Bao on the Seventh Voyage of Zheng He
Hong Bao's name appears in the inscription made by Zheng He in Liujiagang in 1431, before his fleet left China on its 7th voyage to the "Western Ocean". According to the inscription,the two Principal Envoys sent by the Xuande Emperor to the countries of the Western Ocean were the eunuchs Zheng He and Wang Jinghong.
Hong Bao was one of the five Assistant Envoys . Hong Bao, as well as all other Principal and Assistant Envoys except for Zhang Da, had the eunuch rank of Grand Director.
Much of what we know about Hong Bao comes from the book written by the interpreter Ma Huan, who served in his squadron during the 7th voyage of Zheng He's fleet. According to Edward L. Dreyer's analysis of the preserved sources about the voyage, in particular Ma Huan's book, Hong Bao commanded a squadron which most likely separated from the main fleet in Semudera in northern Sumatra, and visited Bengal. From Bengal, Hong Bao's squadron would then go to Calicut in southern India, to which the main fleet came directly from Semudera across the Bay of Bengal.
While the main fleet left Calicut to Ormus, Hong Bao's squadron went from Calicut to various destinations on the west side of the Arabian Sea in southern Arabia and Horn of Africa, including Aden and Mogadishu. Before leaving Calicut, Hong Bao sent seven of his men, including Ma Huan, to Mecca and Medina with a ship from Calicut going to Jeddah.
Grave
In June 2010, the Chief of Archaeology Department at Nanjing Museum Wang Zhigao announced that a Ming Dynasty graverecently found near Zutang Mountain in the Jiangning District of Nanjing was identified as that of Hong Bao.