Medieval History
It's another chapter in the now familiar story of China's economic embrace of Africa. Except that this one begins nearly 600 years ago.
A team of 11 Chinese archaeologists will arrive in Kenya tomorrow to begin the search for an ancient shipwreck and other evidence of commerce with China dating back to the early 15th century. The three-year, £2m joint project will centre around the tourist towns of Lamu and Malindi and should shed light on a largely unknown part of both countries' histories.
The sunken ship is believed to have been part of a mighty armada commanded by Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He, who reached Malindi in 1418. According to Kenyan lore, reportedly backed by recent DNA testing, a handful of survivors swum ashore. After killing a python that had been plaguing a village, they were allowed to stay and marry local women, creating a community of African-Chinese whose descendants still live in the area.
Click here to read the rest of the article from the Guardian
- Marco Polo Really Did Go To China, New Study Finds
It has been said that Marco Polo did not really go to China; that he merely cobbled together his information about it from journeys to the Black Sea, Constantinople and Persia and from talking to merchants and reading now-lost Persian books. But in Marco...
- The Melodies Of The Emperors
In ancient China, court music was so valued that musicians and their instruments were buried with the emperor after the ruler?s death. In fact, so respected was such music that it spread to imperial courts in Japan, Korea and Vietnam. But in the early...
- Second Scroll Depicting 'wako' Pirates Found To Be Held By Beijing Museum
The National Museum of China in Beijing holds a picture scroll very similar to one in Japan that was until now thought to be the only pictorial record of the medieval "Wako" pirates, it has been learned. "Wako" is a name meaning "Japanese invader," used...
- Could A Rusty Coin Re-write Chinese-african History?
It is not much to look at - a small pitted brass coin with a square hole in the centre - but this relatively innocuous piece of metal is revolutionising our understanding of early East African history, and recasting China's more contemporary role...
- Zheng Ho, It's Off To Manda We Go
It is actually Zheng He not Zheng Ho, but it does not sound as catchy in the title!...we'll talk more on Zheng He in a moment. For now, picture yourself here... ?? Manda Bay, AfricaIt is pretty isn't it? Azure blue waters, palm trees, pristine...
Medieval History
Chinese archaeologists' African quest for sunken ship of Ming admiral
It's another chapter in the now familiar story of China's economic embrace of Africa. Except that this one begins nearly 600 years ago.
A team of 11 Chinese archaeologists will arrive in Kenya tomorrow to begin the search for an ancient shipwreck and other evidence of commerce with China dating back to the early 15th century. The three-year, £2m joint project will centre around the tourist towns of Lamu and Malindi and should shed light on a largely unknown part of both countries' histories.
The sunken ship is believed to have been part of a mighty armada commanded by Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He, who reached Malindi in 1418. According to Kenyan lore, reportedly backed by recent DNA testing, a handful of survivors swum ashore. After killing a python that had been plaguing a village, they were allowed to stay and marry local women, creating a community of African-Chinese whose descendants still live in the area.
Click here to read the rest of the article from the Guardian
- Marco Polo Really Did Go To China, New Study Finds
It has been said that Marco Polo did not really go to China; that he merely cobbled together his information about it from journeys to the Black Sea, Constantinople and Persia and from talking to merchants and reading now-lost Persian books. But in Marco...
- The Melodies Of The Emperors
In ancient China, court music was so valued that musicians and their instruments were buried with the emperor after the ruler?s death. In fact, so respected was such music that it spread to imperial courts in Japan, Korea and Vietnam. But in the early...
- Second Scroll Depicting 'wako' Pirates Found To Be Held By Beijing Museum
The National Museum of China in Beijing holds a picture scroll very similar to one in Japan that was until now thought to be the only pictorial record of the medieval "Wako" pirates, it has been learned. "Wako" is a name meaning "Japanese invader," used...
- Could A Rusty Coin Re-write Chinese-african History?
It is not much to look at - a small pitted brass coin with a square hole in the centre - but this relatively innocuous piece of metal is revolutionising our understanding of early East African history, and recasting China's more contemporary role...
- Zheng Ho, It's Off To Manda We Go
It is actually Zheng He not Zheng Ho, but it does not sound as catchy in the title!...we'll talk more on Zheng He in a moment. For now, picture yourself here... ?? Manda Bay, AfricaIt is pretty isn't it? Azure blue waters, palm trees, pristine...