Zheng He

Last week I went to a presentation at the museum negara. Presented by photographer Michael Yamashita to promote his film for national geographic and forthcoming exhibition at the museum. Any discussion about this guy often begins with who was he as he is until recently an unknown in western circles. It has been pointed out to me that he has been taught in the local history books, since he visited Malacca several times. There are many mysteries about this person including who was he, what was he doing and why did the Chinese subsequently hide / destroy all their knowledge of him and burn the fleet. For those of us in the west he will be part of a wave of revisionist history. The perceived idea that only the west or Europe was capable of true exploration. That “they found it first there is an argument put forward that he was a modern thinker way ahead of his time. And that he did not journey to conquer, colonise or convert as many other explore had done. But to explore the with the idea of religious and racial tolerance. It does sound a bit like something out of star trek, but that is the claim and if it is true then it not be out of place in today’s violent world where so much perpetuated in the name of race and religion. If you can, go to the exhibition at the museum negara which starts soon and watch the national geographic presentation on the 11th December. Photo courtesy of National Geographic

Music of the Moment : Craig Armstrong – Ruthless gravity