Hong Bao (Chinese:洪保;fl.ca. 1412–1433) was a Chineseeunuch sent onoverseas diplomatic missions during the reigns of theYongle Emperor andXuande Emperor in theMing dynasty. He is best known as the commander of one of the detached squadrons ofZheng He's fleet during the Seventh Voyage of this fleet to the Indian Ocean (1431–1433).
According to theHistory of Ming, in 1412 (i.e., some time between the third and fourth voyages of Zheng He's fleet), Hong Bao was sent by theYongle Emperor as the envoy toThailand.[2][3]
In 1421 Hong Bao participated in the sixth voyage of Zheng He, during which foreign envoys were transported back to their countries, as far asOrmus.[3]
Hong Bao's name appears in theinscription made byZheng He inLiujiagang in 1431, before his fleet left China on its 7th (and last) voyage to the "Western Ocean" (Indian Ocean). According to the inscription,the two Principal Envoys (正使) sent by theXuande Emperor to the countries of the Western Ocean were the eunuchsZheng He andWang Jinghong.Hong Bao was one of the five Assistant Envoys (副使) (along with Zhu Liang,Zhou Man, Yang Zhen, and Zhang Da). Hong Bao, as well as all other Principal and Assistant Envoys except for Zhang Da, had the eunuch rank of Grand Director (太監,Taijian).[4][3][5]
Much of what we know about Hong Bao comes from the book written by the interpreterMa Huan, who served in his squadron during the 7th voyage of Zheng He's fleet. According toEdward L. Dreyer's analysis of the preserved sources about the voyage, in particularMa Huan's book, Hong Bao commanded a squadron which most likely separated from the main fleet inSemudera in northernSumatra (although other suggested it may have happened earlier, inQui Nhon inChampa), and visitedBengal. From Bengal, Hong Bao's squadron would then go toCalicut in southern India, to which the main fleet came directly from Semudera across theBay of Bengal.[1]
While the main fleet left Calicut toOrmus (inPersian Gulf), Hong Bao's squadron went from Calicut to various destinations on the west side of theArabian Sea in southern Arabia andHorn of Africa, includingAden andMogadishu.[1] Before leaving Calicut, Hong Bao sent seven of his men, includingMa Huan, toMecca andMedina with a ship from Calicut[note 1] going toJeddah.[6]
In June 2010, the Chief of Archaeology Department atNanjing Museum Wang Zhigao announced that a Ming Dynasty graverecently found near Zutang Mountain (祖堂山) in theJiangning District ofNanjing was identified as that of Hong Bao (and not of Zheng He himself, as it was earlier surmised).[3][7][8]