Chapter 3 Chapter Two Zheng He in Nanyang

The historical event of "Zheng He's voyages to the West" is almost a household name in China.Zheng He (1371-1435 A.D.), a native of Kunming, Yunnan, was a Muslim and a Buddhist. He entered the palace as an eunuch in the early Ming Dynasty and was promoted to be an eunuch.This eunuch, who has both Islamic and Buddhist identities, was ordered to lead a powerful fleet to the "Western Ocean" seven times during the 28 years from the third year of Yongle (AD 1405) to the eighth year of Xuande (AD 1433) in the Ming Dynasty. .He has visited more than 30 countries, 14 of which are in Southeast Asia.Zheng He's voyage to the Western Seas was an unprecedented voyage in the history of world navigation at that time. It was half a century earlier than Columbus' voyage, and the scale was much larger.There are different opinions on the purpose of Zheng He's visit, but there are two main points, that is, to develop mutually beneficial overseas trade relations by "passing tribute to the Southwest Sea Route", and to "promote morality and soften people far away", that is, to establish friendly political relations with other countries.What he shouldered was a peaceful mission, so he was warmly welcomed wherever he went. Zheng He's name, together with his deeds, is still widely praised in some Southeast Asian countries, especially Indonesia and Malaysia.Zheng He's voyage also had a great influence on the overseas Chinese community in Southeast Asia.

When Zheng He sailed, the number of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia had reached a certain scale, and overseas Chinese settlements where families lived together appeared.For example, there is a place called Duban on Java Island, where about a thousand overseas Chinese live together. Geerxi (Jinshi), not far from here, used to be a barren wasteland, but because of the Chinese people’s stay, it has become a thousand families. The "new village" in the city, "a lot of people from all over the world come here to buy and sell".In Bolin State (now Palembang) on ​​Sumatra Island, many overseas Chinese from Fujian and Cantonese lived and converted to Islam.The above-mentioned feelings of overseas Chinese are quite detailed in the written records made by some of Zheng He's entourages.These overseas Chinese lived abroad for a long time. Due to the strict maritime ban policy implemented in the early Ming Dynasty, people were forbidden to go abroad and engage in overseas trade, forcing overseas Chinese to dare not return to their country, fearing that they would be punished after returning.Later, the maritime embargo policy was relaxed, and the emperor ordered "amnesty" for overseas Chinese to attract them to "return to their hometowns and resume their jobs" and "be good citizens forever."However, the sea ban policy has been implemented for decades after all, and many people have established themselves in the places where they live abroad. They still have lingering fears about the "sea ban", so not many are willing to return to China.Under such a background, the overseas Chinese' social economy has developed greatly, and there have been social upper-class figures with certain economic and political strength and influence.When Zheng He and his party came into contact with the overseas Chinese society, they also dealt with such people, and Chen Zuyi and Shi Jinqing were representatives of them.

Chen Zuyi is a Cantonese. His family fled to the old port (Palembang) in the south of Sumatra Island. He gathered pirates and proclaimed himself the leader.The piracy of Chen Zuyi and his gang affected the maritime trade in the old port area. Many merchant ships regarded sailing in the huge port as a fearful route, which caused the port city to decline day by day.Zheng He arrived in Old Port on his first voyage to the West and ordered Chen Zuyi.Chen Zuyi played two tricks. On the one hand, he feigned surrender to Zheng He, and at the same time conspired to attack Zheng He's fleet.The conspiracy was revealed, and Zheng He preemptively suppressed Chen Zuyi's pirate group, killing more than 5,000 people and burning 10 ships. Chen Zuyi himself was captured and escorted back to Nanjing for execution.Afterwards, Zheng He supported Shi Jinqing to be the local "Chinese ancestor" and conferred the official title of "Xuan Consolation Envoy".Shi Jinqing denounced Chen Zuyi and helped Zheng He to exterminate Chen Zuyi. He was also a minister sent by King Majapahit of Java to Old Port. After Shi Jinqing's death in 1421, a power struggle occurred, and Zheng He made a special trip to Old Port in 1424 to resolve the dispute.Zheng He's suppression of the Chen Zuyi Group ensured the smooth flow of sea routes and was conducive to the development of maritime trade in Southeast Asia.At the same time, supporting others as overseas Chinese leaders is also conducive to social stability and the improvement of social organizations.

Zheng He also made great contributions to the spread of Islam in Indonesia. Before the 13th century, Indonesia was a country dominated by Buddhism and Hinduism. From the 13th to the 15th century, Islam was introduced into Indonesia and eventually replaced Buddhism and Hinduism.Islam was introduced to Sumatra Island through Indian merchants. Its spread is closely related to commercial activities. It is a product of the development of commercial economy and marks a major progress in Indonesian social history.The spread of Islam from Sumatra to Java began around the time of Zheng He's voyages to the West in the early 15th century. Zheng He may have been the first Muslim with status to visit Java.After Zheng He's voyages to the West, overseas Chinese Muslim communities successively appeared in the southern part of Sumatra and Java.

Zheng He's voyages left many historical relics closely related to the overseas Chinese community in Southeast Asia. The most famous is the city of Semarang in Indonesia. Semarang City is the capital of Central Java Province, Indonesia, and one of the three seaport cities on the north coast of Java Island.How did Semarang City form and develop?According to relevant information, there is a view in the academic circles: Zheng He landed at the mouth of the Semeng An River in the southwestern suburb of Semarang today when Zheng He sailed to the West for the fifth time in 1416. "Stone Chamber"), they call it San Bao Tung.Around Sanbaodong, overseas Chinese started their reclamation and commercial activities.Around the beginning of the 17th century, due to the coercion of the Dutch colonialists, overseas Chinese were forced to move from Sanbaodong to today's downtown Semarang.At that time, it was still a sparsely populated wilderness and swamp. After the overseas Chinese moved in, they built simple bamboo houses in the area designated by the Dutch colonial authorities. They got along well with the local people, established and developed trade relations with each other, and a prosperous port. The city of Semarang was established on this swamp.In order to commemorate Zheng He's achievements and thank him for blessing the residents of Semarang City to live and work in peace and contentment, overseas Chinese established the Sanbaogong Temple at the entrance of Sanbaodong.The earliest temples probably only housed the statue of Zheng He in the cave, nothing else.Later, the cave caved in during a rainstorm, and a newlywed couple who were worshiping in the cave died unfortunately.The real temple was built with funds raised in 1724.Sanbaogong Temple is full of incense, and every year on June 29 of the lunar calendar, a grand commemorative event is held to welcome Zheng He from the cave to Dajue Temple in Semarang City for a "feast". Return to the cave amidst the loud gongs and drums and the dancing dragons and lions.Wherever the welcome team passed by, there was a festive atmosphere.

Malacca is located in a traffic hub and is the throat of the Strait of Malacca.Zheng He passed through here on all seven voyages to the West, and used it as a transit point for long-distance voyages.Warehouses for goods, money and grain are set up here, fenced with fences, four gates and drum towers for each, and there are patrols at night, just like a small city.In the northeast of today's Malacca City, there is the famous Sanbao Mountain ("China Mountain"), which is the cemetery of overseas Chinese.On this hilly hill, there are many monuments commemorating Zheng He: Sanbao Temple, Sanbao Well, Sanbaopo, Sanbao Street, and ancient tombs of overseas Chinese in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties.It is said that when Zheng He's fleet arrived in Malacca, it stationed troops on this mountain and set up an official office.The Sanbao Temple at the foot of the mountain houses a statue of Zheng He in full military uniform. This temple was built by local residents to commemorate Zheng He's achievements.What's very interesting is that this Zheng He is a "snow-bearded boy", and the eunuch has grown a big gray beard.The reason why Zheng He was shaped into such an almost absurd image is the psychological reflection of people's admiration for him.In people's minds, he is an old, experienced but eternally youthful deified figure.On the back mountain of Sanbao Temple, there is Sanbaopo, which was the hillside where Zheng He often stopped to look far away.There is a well next to the Sanbao Temple, which is called "Wang Ye Well" by Malays and "Sanbao Well" by overseas Chinese. Will never forget Malacca.

In Southeast Asia, especially among overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, Zheng He was as well-known as he was in his motherland.The difference is that in Southeast Asia, the legends about him are more mythological, and people express their respect and love for him in this way.