Internal working platform of Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

On July 9, the "Heart-to-Heart Yunnan Tour" dialogue series of activities with Zheng He - Yunnan Province's commemoration of China's 20th Maritime Day and the 619th anniversary of Zheng He's seventh voyage to the West was held in Kunming.

In order to tell the story of Zheng He well and promote the spirit of Zheng He, the event site invited experts and scholars from China and from Singapore and Malaysia, as well as guests such as Zheng He's descendants, to participate in the "Dialogue with Zheng He" dialogue in a combination of online and offline methods. They had a dialogue with Zheng He from an international perspective, shared historical stories related to Zheng He, and their understanding of Zheng He's spirit, and interpreted Zheng He's image in China and abroad.

Shi Ping, Director of the Institute of Marine Culture of Shanghai Maritime University and Director of the Shanghai Zheng He Research Center:

From the perspective of the world's diverse civilizations

Integrating Zheng He research into the "Belt and Road" initiative

There are several issues worth paying attention to in the current research on Zheng He. First, Zheng He research should focus on studying the cultural characteristics of Zheng He's voyages to the West and the connotation of China's traditional maritime culture from the perspective of the world's diverse civilizations, as the historical basis for building a modern maritime power and shipping power in China, and innovatively interpret the cultural context of contemporary China's proposal of a community with a shared future for mankind. Second, we should attach importance to the discovery and research of Zheng He's cultural heritage at home and abroad, as an important part of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", to form diversified results and establish a humanistic foundation for cooperation. Yunnan attaches importance to the research of Zheng He's cultural tourism products on the Pan-Asian Railway, linking Zheng He's cultural resources in Yunnan, Thailand, Malaysia and other places in China. Third, attach importance to interdisciplinary and regional Zheng He research, and enhance the knowledge structure and research capabilities of Zheng He research innovation. Fourth, strengthen the echelon construction of the Zheng He research team and promote the rejuvenation of researchers.

Zhang Lu, President of the Singapore International Zheng He Society:

Zheng He's spirit represents

Peace, Development and Co-prosperity

The Singapore International Zheng He Society mainly studies the historical and cultural heritage of Zheng He's voyages to the West and its contemporary application value. Based in Singapore, it looks to Southeast Asia, connects the world, and promotes the spirit of Zheng He and the culture of the Maritime Silk Road.

The history of human development is also the history of understanding the ocean, approaching the ocean, and developing the ocean. From the earliest sea voyage by the Greek navigator Pytheas in the 4th century AD, to Zheng He's seven voyages to the West more than 600 years ago, mankind has broken the records of their ancestors time and time again. Zheng He's spirit insists on the idea that the world is one family and that we share a common destiny, accepts the diversity of civilizations, proceeds steadily and far, influences people's hearts, and pursues consensus. Fairness, justice, faith, wisdom, courage and virtue, Zheng He's spirit represents peace, development and common prosperity.

Zhong Tianxiang, Director of the Maritime Silk Road Research Institute of the Singapore International Zheng He Society:

Baba Culture and Zheng He's Spirit

Inherited from the same source

Baba refers to the descendants of Chinese who were born and raised in the South Pacific. Malacca, the oldest ancient city in Malaysia and an important place where Zheng He's spirit spread, is also the birthplace of Baba. When Zheng He led his fleet to the West, some of his entourage stayed in the local area and married local women and had children. Later, Malacca developed into a prosperous commercial port and established friendship between Malaysia and China. Zheng He also became a spiritual force to promote the development of bilateral relations. Many Baba families migrated here and gradually formed a community.

Today, Singapore, a city-state with a splendid multicultural society, still retains a lot of Baba cultural heritage, such as the world-famous Singapore Peranakan Museum and the quaint buildings along Katong Road, which all demonstrate the heritage and power of Baba as a member of the Chinese community.

Ho Qicai, senior lecturer of the Department of Chinese Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya and deputy director of the Malaysian Chinese Studies Center:

Zheng He's spirit is Malaysia

A cultural bridge for Chinese society

The Chinese community regards the Triple Crown as a symbol of cultural integration. Zheng He's voyages promoted cultural exchanges between China and Southeast Asia, and also provided an opportunity for early Chinese immigrants to go to Southeast Asia. For the Malaysian Chinese community, Zheng He is a link between the past and the present, and a spiritual pillar for maintaining cultural identity. By commemorating Zheng He, the Chinese strive to inherit the wisdom and courage of their ancestors, unite the ethnic group, and enhance their confidence in their own culture. Therefore, the Chinese community continues to regard Zheng He as a cultural bridge between the various ethnic groups in Malaysia and a symbol of ethnic identity.