Our country has enclaves in Southeast Asia
It turned out that our country not only had enclaves, but also earlier than many countries. As early as 1405, the Ming eunuch Zheng He opened up a Chinese overseas enclave, the Old Port Xuanwei Division.
Located on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the Old Port covers an area of about 400 square kilometers and is one of the top 10 ports in Indonesia. The Old Port is close to the Earth's equator and has become the southernmost point of China's historical territory.
The enclave has a long history, full of mystery and historical and cultural value. Although the concept of enclaves is only widely recognized in modern times, in ancient times, our ancestors carved out their territory overseas.
The Ming fleet led by Zheng He was famous in the West China Sea and made great contributions to the development of thousands of miles of sea frontiers. Everywhere they passed, they all surrendered to the prestige of the Ming Dynasty.
The old port was included in the administrative system of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Di, the ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, also specially appointed ** to manage it. The first old Hong Kong Xuanwei Shi was Shi Jinqing, a native of Guangzhou. Before it became the territory of the Ming Dynasty, there was a regime in the old port called Sriwijayaya.
It is bordered by Java to the east, Manraka to the west, mountains to the south, and the sea to the north. The local people are brave and good at fighting, and they once dominated the countries of Southeast Asia. The land is fertile, densely populated, and there are many houses on the water.
The port's strategic location attracted many Chinese who went south to settle here, cultivate rice or engage in maritime **. The Three Buddhas believed in Buddhism, actively carried out ** with China, and became a vassal in the Tang and Song dynasties.
However, before Zheng He could reach the Old Port, the Javanese state sent troops to destroy the ancient kingdom of Srivijaya, causing chaos in the area. Liang Daoming, a native of the South China Sea, left his homeland and came to Beigang, where he was elected chief in the midst of chaos and summoned local Chinese and natives to protect themselves.
Later, some soldiers and civilians from Guangdong and Fujian defected to him, and the total number reached 100,000. But Liang Daoming believes that as a son and daughter of China, he should return to the Ming Dynasty.
After the news was transmitted back to Beijing, Zhu Di was very happy and sent Liang Daoming's fellow townsmen Tan Shengshou and Yang Xin of the Thousand Households to Zhao'an. When Zheng He sailed to the West around 1405, his fleet of more than 20,000 men arrived here.
Local Chinese merchants actively helped Zheng He's fleet, providing money, food and fresh water, and had a good relationship with the fleet.
At that time, there was a pirate gang in the area of the old port, and its leader, Chen Zuyi, was also a Cantonese. According to the "Yingya Shenglan Old Port", Chen Zuyi was "extremely arrogant, and all passing ships were robbed of their property".
He also attempted to rob Zheng He's fleet. He thought that Zheng He was good at land warfare, and naval warfare would definitely defeat Zheng He. However, with the help of Shi Jinqing and others, Zheng and Pingping pacified Chen Zuyi's pirate army, killing more than 5,000 pirates, burning 10 enemy ships and capturing 7, removing a major long-standing threat to the local area.
The Ming navy took advantage of the situation to establish a warehouse in Malaga in the Strait of Malacca as a transit point for operating in the Western Ocean, which was also an important contribution of Zheng He's voyage to the Western Ocean. This history of the Ming Navy sweeping through Southeast Asia and dominating the Indian Ocean is the supreme glory in the history of the Chinese Navy.
The old port, which was once an important shipping transit point, was finally in the hands of the Eastern Claw Frog Kingdom 33 years later under the influence of the decline of the Ming Dynasty's national power and internal strife.
Despite this, the Old Port still exists, is one of the cities with the largest Chinese population in Indonesia, and has preserved many historical sites, such as the Zheng He Mosque, which is named after two famous people who believed in Islam, Shi Jinqing and Zheng He.
Learn more about the history!