​Your support can make a difference.

​There are a number of exciting projects which need funding and support.

​MENZIES MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

​The aim of the 1421 Menzies Memorial Scholarship is to encourage and empower the next generation of maritime history researchers. It is open to students of the undergraduate and postgraduate levels to help fund their education or research proposals in history, archaeology, anthropology, linguistics and any other related field that would aid with the research and discussion of maritime exploration. 

Support the Scholarship Fund →

​HOW CHINA CHARTED THE WORLD - MAP EXHIBITION

​The 1421 Foundation is developing a travelling exhibition which explores the evolution of Chinese world maps through the ages. It was agreed that the exhibition would  be held initially at the Royal Geographical Society, London, and then travel around the world. The aim of the exhibition and accompanying seminars is to provide the world with stunning visual proof that China had been exploring and mapping the world for millennia before the European “Age of Discovery”. The exhibition will bring together, in plain sight, and at prestigious and relevant venues, the cartographic proof which shows that great exploratory voyages from Asia had mapped and circumnavigated the world by 1421 AD. 

The culmination of these great voyages of discovery can be seen in the “Impossible Black Tulip”, Matteo Ricci’s Chinese world map of 1602, a copy of which the Royal Geographical Society has displayed on its very own walls in the Map Room. Accompanying the two week exhibition in the RGS Pavilion, will be a series of seminars led by a panel of experts from around the world who will show, beyond reasonable doubt, that the great European explorers all set sail using maps which were based on Chinese knowledge of the world, acquired over several millennia of global exploration. 

The exhibition will be accompanied by a book, brochure and television documentary.

Support the Map Exhibition →

​SUPPORT CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Although we have limited funding, our volunteers continue to develop comprehensive educational programs aimed at inspiring the next generation of historians, archaeologists, and maritime enthusiasts. Through interactive workshops, online courses, and engaging lectures, we aim to ignite a passion for history and exploration in hearts, young and old. We see a fantastic opportunity to build cultural sensitivity education around the “The Adventures of Zheng He."

Support Curriculum Development →

​ONLINE DIGITAL ARCHIVE

​Gavin and the team read about and researched Zheng He and his exploits for over 20 years. A huge amount of the archive materials studied have been scanned and processed digitally.

The 1421 Foundation has in its digital archives over 100,000 data points. Data such as the discovery of ancient navigation stones in California that match others found around the Pacific Rim. Data such as ancient artifacts found in Australia. Data pertaining to ancient shipwrecks in Newfoundland. We are seeking funding for a “proof of concept” where 1,000 data points are compiled and analyzed by a lean team of historians, data scientists, and artificial intelligence. The results will be made available to all.
​
The physical “Menzies Archive” was donated to the Yunnan University in Kunming, where it is held at the University Library. The 1421 Foundation has established a close working relationship with Yunnan University, Yunnan University Library, and Yunnan Zheng He’s Studies Association, demonstrating a sustained commitment to studying and sharing of our understanding and insights of Zheng He and his voyages.

Together, Yunnan University and the 1421 Foundation commit to continued research, education, and outreach efforts, beginning in three specific areas:

(1) Yunnan University Library will establish a sole data center and catalogue the archives donated by Gavin Menzies. This data center will be open to all teachers, students, and the general public.

(2) Yunnan University will, in conjunction with the “Belt and Road Initiative” in China, promote and strengthen the study of Zheng He’s voyages in MA and PhD programs.

(3) Yunnan University and Yunnan Zheng He’s Studies Association will strengthen the academic and educational cooperation with the 1421 Foundation at the student and scholar exchange level.

It is hoped that, in the coming years and through our cooperation and joint efforts, the extent and significance of Zheng He and his voyages will become universally understood and accepted.

Support the Online Digital Archive →

​Thank you for your support!