Some six centuries ago, the great Chinese explorer and diplomat Zheng He set sail to blaze a trail across the Indian Ocean to the east coast of Africa. In 2002, Li Xinfeng set out to find traces of Zheng’s several journeys in Africa. The result is the compelling China in Africa: In Zheng He’s Footsteps.

Beginning on Kenya’s Pate Island, Li’s comprehensive research led him to travel around much of the southern part of the African continent. What he found—the sometimes surprising legacy of He’s visits— presents a challenge to the postcolonial world, highlighting the stark contrast between colonizing and fair exchange for mutual benefit.