Did China Admiral Zheng He’s fleet visit VivoCity Singapore in early 15th century?
VivoCity, located in the Harbour Front precinct adjacent to the Keppel Harbour and ferry terminal that connects to the nearby Indonesia islands, is probably one of the largest shopping mall in Singapore.
In the 1970s, the land of VivoCity was still part of Keppel Harbour West Wharf. On the west of Keppel Shipyard was an entrance to Keppel Harbour which folks used to call the shipyard as Northwest Gate (西北门). The boundary marker of Keppel Shipyard can still be seen in Labrador Park.
A “Dragon tooth” replica was erected in Labrador Park by the Singapore Tourism Board. It probably drew inspiration from “Longyamen” (龙牙门,Dragon Tooth Gate) which appeared in the travelogue “Dao yi zhi lue” (Description of the Barbarians of the Isles) written by the ancient mariner and trader Wang Dayuan during the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century. “Longyamen” also appeared in “Wubei Zhi” (Zheng He Nautical Charts).
In the Wubei Zhi, Longyamen was drawn in the navigation map as a standalone island. In the same map, there is another venue called Temasek (单马锡) distanced away although both places appeared to be around the Singapore Strait through the use of modern interpretation.
President Xi Jinping in his speech at the National University of Singapore on November 7, 2015, stated that “in the early 15th century, China's great navigator, Zheng He, visited Singapore several times on his ocean voyages…..In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, many people from China's Guangdong and Fujian provinces migrated to Southeast Asia, bringing with them Chinese culture and skills, and sowing the seeds of a China-Singapore friendship.”
Are Longyamen, Temasek and Singapore referring to the same destination? Did Zheng He’s fleet visit Singapore?
Presenter
LEE Kok Leong, FRINA, had spent over 2 decades in the naval architecture profession. Ten years ago, he started engaging in freelance heritage researches with an unequivocal interest in connecting the immigrant history between Singapore and China. He has since published several Chinese books which, through comprehensive research and interviews, documented the immigrants’ history in Singapore. His books were supported by several national agencies including China’s local government, the National Arts Council, the MCCY and the National Heritage Board. |
Date:
Monday, 16 April 2018
Program:
1830hrs – Registration
1900hrs – Presentation
1945hrs – Q&A
2030hrs – Light refreshments
2130hrs – End
Venue:
The POD, Level 16
National Library Building
100 Victoria St, Singapore 188064
Monday, 16 April 2018
Program:
1830hrs – Registration
1900hrs – Presentation
1945hrs – Q&A
2030hrs – Light refreshments
2130hrs – End
Venue:
The POD, Level 16
National Library Building
100 Victoria St, Singapore 188064
Event Video & Photo
(Abbreviated) Did China Admiral Zheng He’s fleet visit VivoCity Singapore in early 15th century?
Did China Admiral Zheng He’s fleet visit VivoCity Singapore in early 15th century (Full presentation)?