6. Zheng He Was a Famous Explorer
Born into a Muslim family, Zheng He was originally born with the name “Ma He”, and he was ethnically Mongolian and Arab. His name was changed to sound more Chinese at a later date. He was very open-minded to all religions and cultures. The stories about how he became a eunuch vary, and no one is sure if he was 10, or 16 years old when it happened. At that time, China and Mongolia were constantly at war with one another over territory, so he was captured and called a “Mongol pretender”, which is when they castrated him as a punishment and forced him into becoming a slave.
Even though he went through that horrific event as a child, he he still went on grow up to be a trusted advisor to the prince, because he was seen as having insider knowledge about the cultures and customs of other lands. He was able to go on epic adventures as a sea mariner, explorer, and international diplomat. They even erected a statue in his honor, which is still standing in China to this day.