Cultural Exchange Programme Honouring Zheng He's Legacy Launched

A series of cultural exchange activities under the theme ‘Zheng He Odyssey: Global Friendship Envoy’ was launched in Jakarta on Tuesday, bringing together more than 160 representatives from political, business, academic, and cultural circles in China and Indonesia, as well as the overseas Chinese community. The two-day programme includes over 10 events, such as the presentation of a Zheng He ship model, a cultural bazaar and creative poster exhibition, a seminar on the Global Civilization Initiative and the dissemination of Zheng He’s spirit internationally, and a friendship ceremony for youth representatives from China and Indonesia. Education Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, Chen Wu, stated that over the 76 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Indonesia have achieved aligned progress in the ‘five pillars’ of cooperation: politics, economy, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, maritime affairs, and security. Key projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and the ‘Two Countries, Twin Parks’ initiative have delivered tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations. He expressed hope that both sides can draw wisdom from Zheng He’s historic voyages and become inheritors of the spirit of peace, drivers of practical cooperation, and builders of lasting friendship. Wen Liao, Deputy Director of the Spiritual Civilization Office of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, noted that Yunnan, the hometown of Zheng He, has long maintained close ties with Indonesia. Cooperation between the two sides has evolved from cultural and trade exchanges into institutionalised, multi-level, and comprehensive collaboration covering modern agriculture, biomedicine, clean energy, education, and ecological conservation. He hoped both parties would continue to inherit Zheng He’s spirit and write a new chapter of friendship in the new era. Vinsensius Jemadu, Acting Deputy for Event Development Management at Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, said that Zheng He left numerous historical sites and cultural heritage across the Indonesian archipelago, including those in Semarang, which have become valuable cultural and tourism assets. He expressed hope that tourism brands such as the ‘Zheng He Route’ could further boost people-to-people exchanges to elevate bilateral cooperation in tourism and cultural exchange to a higher level. As a key agenda item of the programme, a scale model of a Zheng He ship, measuring 71 cm in length and 60 cm in height, was donated by Yunnan Province to the Sam Poo Kong Foundation in Semarang. Crafted by Fu Kunxiang and Wang Li, inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage of traditional ship model making in Kunming, the model is based on ships from the Ming Dynasty era. It reproduces the distinctive Fujian-style hull, complete with nine watertight compartments and a keel structure, depicting the majesty of the fleet that once sailed the seas.