Piece of timber a reminder of Zheng He
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya
Wednesday, Aug. 3, was a very historic day for Tjio Eng San. Based on the Chinese lunar calendar, on that day, 600 years ago, the great Admiral Zheng He (also known as Cheng Ho) sailed to Indonesia and visited several cities, including Surabaya, Semarang and Palembang.
"I can imagine that hundreds of ships with thousands of crewmen entered the archipelago's waters and dropped anchor at a number of islands, including East Java," Eng San told The Jakarta Post.
Zheng He, whose epic voyages took place between 1405 and 1433, built a number of mosques and mushola (prayer rooms) at those places.
Apart from that, Zheng He also introduced Chinese farming methods, working tools and handicrafts, all of which became the historical pillars of the ties between the native peoples of the archipelago and the Chinese emigrants.
"There was no hatred, or feelings of hostility to one another; everything transpired in the spirit of brotherhood," said Eng San, an employee at the Sam Poo Sing Bio, or better known as the Mbah Ratu Temple on Jl. Gresikan, Surabaya. He is one of the thousands of Chinese Indonesians in East Java who are celebrating the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's visit. The anniversary is being celebrated most grandly in Semarang.
The Chinese community in East Java, including Eng San, feel a special bond with Admiral Zheng He. The presence of a length of timber believed to be from one of Zheng He's ships found on the Ujung Gakuh beach in Surabaya was proof of that.
"We still have the timber," said Eng San.
The 9-meter long, 30-cm wide piece of timber is not on public display. It is kept in a glass showcase covered in red lace at the back of the Mbah Ratu Temple.
"We always keep the door locked, as we're afraid that people will turn it into a talisman," he said.
Another Indonesian of Chinese descent, Go Ka Bok, deemed Zheng He's accomplishments as miraculous.
"Using only simple equipment, Zheng He could explore the world 70 years ahead of Marco Polo. Wasn't that a phenomenon?" Ka Bok asked.
For all these reasons Chinese Indonesians in East Java intend to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's visit with pomp and ceremony, like their fellow Chinese in Semarang, Central Java, where the highlight of the celebration will be held.
"However, it seems not fair to be celebrating when many people are facing hardships," said Ka Bok.
The tolerance shown by Chinese Indonesians, like Tjio Eng San and Go Ka Bok, was absorbed by the values brought by Zheng He. History denotes that in the voyage to the archipelago, Zheng He, a Muslim, was also accompanied by Confucian and Catholic crew members. "It means, friendship among people is not determined by their faith," said Ka Bok.