Zheng He, romanized as Cheng Ho, is regarded by many as the greatest explorer in Chinese history. Setting sail in the early 1400s as a military leader and foreign diplomat under the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zheng He would go on to command the largest and most advanced fleet the world had ever seen on his expeditions to the “Western Oceans”.
Zheng He’s frequent visits to and transformative impact on Malacca is celebrated with a small tribute on the island of Batam, Indonesia; located in the Riau Islands province, only 6km away from Singapore.
Along with a statue of Zheng He is a mini-replica of one of his wooden vessels (Kapal Chengho Bengkong), which can be entered for a small fee.
