Centuries before the world's oceans became a global trade highway, Chinese seafarers set sail to faraway lands to exchange commodities. Now, Historian Sam Willis retraces the golden era of maritime trade to uncover a legacy that culminated in one of the greatest armadas of all time, and discover parallels between the world then and now.

Dean Johnson, the executive producer, has been filming programs in Asia since 1993. His career started with the BBC filming landmark programs such as This World, Panorama and Horizon. Johnson has filmed across the world from Afghanistan to Antarctica covering all genres of documentaries. He was executive producer on all of IFA's NGC output including the following shows: Inside Fish Wars, Last of the Sumatran Maneaters, and Attack of the Monster Jellyfish. He was also the producer for rating winner – Monster Fish series for National Geographic.