Cultural Exchange Programme Honouring Zheng He's Legacy Launched
Jakarta (ANTARA) - A series of cultural exchange activities themed ‘Zheng He Odyssey: Global Friendship Envoy’ was launched in Jakarta on Tuesday (30/6), bringing together more than 160 representatives from political, business, academic, and cultural sectors from China and Indonesia, as well as the overseas Chinese community.
The two-day programme includes over 10 events, including the presentation of a model of the Cheng Ho ship, a cultural bazaar, a creative poster exhibition, seminars on the Global Civilization Initiative and the international dissemination of the Cheng Ho spirit, and a friendship ceremony for Chinese and Indonesian youth representatives.
Chen Wu, the Education Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, stated that during the 76 years of diplomatic relations, China and Indonesia have achieved aligned progress across ‘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 (KCJB) and the ‘Two Countries, Twin Parks’ initiative have provided tangible benefits to the people of both nations. He expressed hope that both parties could draw lessons from the historic voyages of Cheng Ho to become heirs to the spirit of peace, drivers of practical cooperation, and nurturers of lasting friendship.
Wen Liao, Deputy Director of the Spiritual Civilization Office of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), noted that Yunnan, the birthplace of Cheng Ho, has long maintained close ties with Indonesia. Cooperation between the two parties 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 expressed hope that both sides would continue to inherit the spirit of Cheng Ho and write a new chapter of friendship in the new era.
Vinsensius Jemadu, Acting Deputy for Event Development at the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, stated that Cheng Ho left many historical sites and cultural legacies throughout the Indonesian archipelago, including in Semarang, which are now valuable cultural and tourism assets. He hoped that tourism brands such as the ‘Cheng Ho Route’ could further promote people-to-people exchanges to elevate bilateral cooperation in tourism and cultural exchange to a higher level.
As one of the main agendas of the programme, a scale model of the Cheng Ho ship, measuring 71 cm in length and 60 cm in height, was donated by Yunnan Province to the Sam Poo Kong Foundation in Semarang. Created by Fu Kunxiang and Wang Li, heirs to the intangible cultural heritage of traditional ship model making in Kunming, the model is based on ships from the Ming Dynasty. It reproduces the distinctive Fujian-style hull, complete with nine watertight compartments and the ship’s keel structure, depicting the grandeur of the fleet that once sailed the oceans.