CHINA A Hero's Journey
In the 15th century the Middle Kingdom was confident, secure and willing to project its power throughout Asia. TIME retraces Admiral Zheng He's route and finds a nation less sure about its global role
SOUTHEAST ASIA Disunited Nations
Once a patchwork of sultanates and kingdoms, this teeming region now struggles to tame its multiple—and often conflicting—identities
INDIA Misplaced Majesty
The history of the thriving Malabar coast's entrepots that so impressed Chinese adventurers has been all but scuttled by the tides of time
Punch Line
Kung fu reinvigorates its subcontinental ancestor
THE MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA Arabian Twilight
The cities that were once the center of the world now hover at its remotest margins—but a few traces of their glory days linger on
Trading Places
Chinese still flock to Kenya's coastal cities to seek their fortunes
Contraband
Asia's health fads give new incentives to poachers
CHINA
SOUTHEAST ASIA
INDIA
THE MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA
