October 2004: The
International Zheng He Society organized a Dialogue with Mr. Gavin
Menzies over dinner hosted by Suntec City. It was attended by about
25 members and friends. Mr. Menzies brought the audience the latest
updates on Zheng He. Among other interesting information is the already
well developed naval fleets of Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty.
Lecture by Drs Tan Ta Sen on Zheng He
On 20 March 2005, Drs. Tan gave a public lecture on the voyages of
Zheng He and their implications for Southeast Asia. The lecture, which
was organized by the Hua Chung High School Alumni Association, was
delivered in Mandarin. He gave an account of the Zheng He voyages
and pointed out the profound implications of these voyages which are
still being felt today. Drs. Tan based his lecture on his intensive
fieldwork in many Southeast Asian countries, especially in Malaysia
and Indonesia.
Professor Wu Jin Informal Talk
Prof Wu Jin of the Cheng Kung University is an internationally renowned
researcher in ocean science and a leading authority on Zheng He. He
was in Singapore to attend a meeting early November 2004. He used
the opportunity to meet Council Members of the International Zheng
He Society on 1 November and exchanged views on the Zheng He Voyages.
On 2 November 2004, he was invited by the Institute of Southeast Asian
Studies (ISEAS) to give an informal talk. He gave a detailed account
of history of Zheng He’s voyages and explored the scientific and technological
aspects of the voyages. He also expounded on the contemporary significance
of the voyages. He informed the audience on activities celebrating
the 600th anniversary of Zheng He‘s initial voyages and commented
on Gavin Menzies' book entitled 1421: The
Year China Discovered the World.
Mr. Chung Chee Kit gave a public talk on Zheng
He and Ancient Chinese Warships and Naval Strategies on 15 March 2005,
organized by Friends of the Museums, Singapore
It is generally known that in the year 1405, Zheng
He led a fleet of hundreds of sailing vessels on several voyages to
visit the nations of the Western Oceans. These left a lasting impact
on the cultural, social and political development of many Southeast
Asian Countries. Although the voyages were recorded, there is a controversy
over the size of the flagship, the Baochuan (Treasure Ship). Did the
Chinese actually build the largest wooden vessel afloat of 350 feet
in length some 600 years ago? Mr. Chung Chee Kit discussed the controversy
and presented a snapshot of the principal arguments. It drew on known
facts regarding the state of shipbuilding and sailing technology of
the Ming period to paint an interesting picture of the advanced Chinese
marine history in days before Columbus, Magellan and da Gama when
they made the voyages of discovery. Insights were given on how early
Chinese traders and immigrants braved the perils of the seas to reach
the exotic ports of Nanyang.
Seminar on Zheng He by Dr. Geoffrey Wade at
ISEAS
Dr. Wade of the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore,
was invited to give a seminar at ISEAS on 9 November 2004. The report
written by Terence Tan published on November 11, 2004 in the Straits
Times is reproduced here.
Admiral Zheng He “Set out to Colonise Southeast Asia”
A visiting scholar has challenged the widely held view that the voyages
of the Ming Dynasty’s Admiral Zheng He in Southeast Asia were non-aggressionist
and peaceful. The 15th century expeditions, were in fact, colonialistic
in nature, Dr. Geoffrey Wade told a seminar organized by the Institute
of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). He cited the examples of military
intervention by Adm Zheng to illustrate that Ming China was keen to
establish its hegemony over the region, a charge Chinese scholars
deny.
To begin with, he claimed that the size of each of the expeditions-nearly
30,000 people and up to 230 ships-and the military background of the
men sent on these trips “suggest that they weren’t really voyages
of peace and friendship.” “The traditional view is to paint the Zheng
He voyages of friendship and friendly diplomacy. What they were was
that they were gunships”, he said.
Dr. Wade, an Australian who is currently a visiting senior research
fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of
Singapore, highlighted numerous examples of violence committed by
Adm Zheng and his troops to backup his argument.
Historical records show that Adm Zheng He, whose name is also spelled
as Cheng Ho, and his soldiers invaded places like Palembang in Sumatre,
Java and Ayutthaya in Thailand. The Ming navy also established several
guanchang (government depots) in Malacca and Sumatra-essentially military
and commercial bases which gave it control over the Malacca Straits,
a key waterway at that time. All these, he said were proof that the
Ming court was practicing what he termed “proto-colonialism”, with
the intention to achieving control over its neighbors.
Elaborating on what he meant by “proto-colonialism”, it said that
it differed from the modern colonialism of the 19th century in which
Western power held control over large swathes of territory and population.
Rather, it was a form of colonialism similar to what the Portuguese
would later practice in the 16th Century-merely taking control of
the main ports on the East West maritime trade route.
Several members of the audience-including Dr. Leo Suryadinata, the
senior research fellow at ISEAS who chaired argued. He said that many
of an overlord-vassal relationship rather than that of a colonial
empire, Dr, Suryadinata argued. He said that many of the states were
in fact glad to pay tribute to China in exchange for military protection
and trade benefit, in what was known as the “tributary-trade system”.
China is gearing up for major festivities next year to commemorate
the 600th anniversary of Adm Zheng, who is often held up as early
exponent of the country’s “benevolent diplomacy”. Historical records
suggest that the Admiral, who led a total of seven expeditions to
Southeast Asia, India, Arabia and Africa between 1405-1433, did not
colonize any newly discovered areas or enslave their inhabitants.
This fits in nicely with the concept of China’s peaceful rise, which
has been touted avidly by Beijing to counter worries about the country’s
growing clout everything from trade to military might.
·Activities
And Events
·Publications
·Singapore's
Zheng He 600th Anniversary Celebration Events
·Malaysia
·China
·Taiwan
·Lectures/Seminars
on Zheng He in Singapore
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