Portable Histories in Mobile City Singapore: The (Lack)Lustre of Admiral Zheng He

Abstract

‘Singapore stories’ are frequently tales of departure and arrival, but in the midst of this the nation-state has set out to construct a sense of permanence, and with that a future, such that the transits might become meaningful in the national narrative. Those who leave are supposed to be overseas Singaporeans; those who come, new Singaporeans. To this end, the country could do with an icon of mobility such as Zheng He, who evokes history, character and expansiveness. His legendary journeys stimulated imaginations and marked the apex of the navigational technology of his day. In mainstream historical accounts, he was a figure of peace, representing the mighty yet benevolent Middle Kingdom, and even a folk deity. The 600th anniversary of the launching of the first voyage in 1405 was celebrated throughout China and the Chinese diaspora. In Singapore, the Singapore Tourism Board and private agencies rode on the worldwide publicity generated by the 2002 book by Gavin Menzies – arguing that China discovered America before Columbus and circumnavigated the world before Magellan – to host a range of mega-events, including an international exhibition based on the book's claims. However, the celebrations were dampened by the efforts of Singapore-based Geoff Wade, a historian of Ming dynasty China, who has tirelessly disputed such claims. Other scholars and businessmen in Singapore have also entered the fray. From Raffles to Zheng He, Singapore's search for history serves only to emphasize its historical rootlessness.

• Singapore
• Chinese diaspora
• Zheng He
• Gavin Menzies
• Tan Ta Sen
• Geoff Wade

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Huang Jianli

Author details: Hong Lysa, formerly with the History Department of the National University of Singapore, is an independent scholar. E-mail: [email protected]. Huang Jianli is with the Department of History, National University of Singapore, 11 Arts Link, Singapore 117570. E-mail: [email protected].