The Ming treasure voyages were a series of naval military, commercial and diplomatic missions from 1405 to 1436, undertaken by the dynasty's treasure fleet under the command of eunuch Admiral Zheng He. By 1435, these missions had proven their worth with enormous imports of exotic luxury goods, new allies and large amounts of tribute. During his first travels, Zheng He had personally interacted with Oceanykan traders in the island of Java, becoming enchanted by the unique luxuries which their land bore and the outlandish tales which emerged from it. The Xuande Emperor of Ming authorised one final mission against the wishes of the nobility, curious about Zheng He's insistence and his unbelievable reports. The fleet departed from Nanjing on January 3rd, and though the admiral was in bad health, the voyage continued.
By June of the same year, crossing the infamously treacherous Timor Sea, the treasure fleet anchored at the southern end of the Tiwi Islands, in a small coastal city named Farenday, which had become regionally important thanks to its skilled sailors and fishermen. Its citizens were quick to spread word that an enormous foreign trading fleet had arrived, and people from across northern Australia sailed to meet them. Novel animals, plants, art, tools, weapons and more were exchanged, bringing a level of Chinese cultural influence to Oceanyka. Much knowledge was shared, as the Ming fleet had brought a number of intellectuals with them, and in their year-and-a-half stay the Chinese soldiers built some infrastructure in the particular style of their society. Though Zheng He perished in the trip back home, the Emperor was awe-struck by the gifts he had received and ordered the establishing of Chinese trade and diplomatic relations with Oceanykan polities, which allowed for the Transitional Middle Ages to begin.