How Ancient Chinese Treasure Ships Survived Months at Sea Without Refrigeration

In the early 1400s, Admiral Zheng He commanded the largest naval expeditions the world had ever seen. His fleets crossed the Indian Ocean with over 200 ships and tens of thousands of crew members. Long before refrigeration, antibiotics, or modern medicine.

And yet…
They suffered no recorded scurvy outbreaks.
Their food didn’t rot.
Their ships stayed afloat even when damaged.

This documentary breaks down five ingenious technologies that made it possible:

Sprouted soybeans that quietly prevented scurvy
Watertight bulkheads that protected food and ships
Fermented soy paste (jiang) that preserved protein for months
Integrated desalination systems using ship furnaces
Floating ecosystems with livestock and onboard food production

👉 Subscribe to SilkRoadDiaries
🔔 Where ancient innovations, wonders and war is

Keywords: Zheng He treasure fleet, How ancient sailors survived at sea, Ancient Chinese naval technology, Scurvy prevention before vitamin C, Ancient food preservation methods, Chinese watertight bulkheads, Fermentation history China, Ancient desalination methods, Ming Dynasty ships, Maritime Silk Road technology.

#AncientChina #ZhengHe #MaritimeHistory #AncientEngineering #ForgottenTechnology #HistoryDocumentary #ChineseInventions #navalhistory

Disclaimer:
Some image/videos are using AI to compensate the lack of actual image of ancient times.
⚠️ Educational purposes only. Sources available upon request.

Primary Sources:
• Ma Huan — Yingya Shenglan (15th century fleet records)
• UNESCO — Watertight-Bulkhead Technology of Chinese Junks
• Erik T. Patterson — James Lind, Zheng He and the Prevention of Scurvy
• Archaeological reports on Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck
• Ming Dynasty maritime and agricultural texts
• Modern nutritional studies on sprouted soybeans and fermentation