 |
| |
| —— Special Reports —— Great Voyages Peace Envoy —— News |
| |
Zheng He anniversary harvests peace, prosperity
|
|
SEMARANG, Indonesia, August 6
(Xinhuanet) -- Peace and prosperity have turned out to be the key words for
delegates from various sides, as the week-long celebration for the 600th
anniversary of Chinese Ming Dynasty navigator Zheng He's voyages of the West
Ocean come be concluded here on
Sunday. "Peaceful diplomacy
is one of the most valuable legacy that we can inherit from Zheng He," Head of
Fujian Provincial Delegation Xie Xianwen told Xinhua before attending the
banquet hosted by the local provincial
government. He
circumnavigated the globe to bring friendship and technology to other countries,
totally different from the Western navigators who went to the sea to establish
colonies, he said. Such an
attitude could set up a good example nowadays for all the countries who get
caught in various struggles, he
added. Secretary General of
the Anniversary Organizing Committee Zhou Jichao said that Zheng He's ideal was
materialized in the celebration as all the activities shared one topic:
peace. "Climax came as the
audience saw the fashion show of all Indonesian and Chinese national costumes in
the gala parade on Thursday," he said, adding that the performance symbolized a
common desire for peace and
unity. Meanwhile, Central
Java Governor pinned hope on the anniversary for promoting the province's
tourism industry and drawing more foreign
investment. "More than 8,000
Chinese tourists traveled in Indonesia in 2004.This year, we will have more of
them coming. When tourism booms and cultural exchange is promoted, we can say
that Zheng He's dream for peace and prosperity is coming true," he said, while
inaugurating the new Zheng He
Temple. Semarang welcomed
tourists as well as investors, and every investor from China would be met
individually by government officials if they came to the capital city, he
added. In addition,
Indonesian Commerce Minister Feng Huilan said that Zheng He's voyages promoted
the trade and cultural exchange between China and Indonesia, which currently
enjoyed positive
development. Inter-nation
exchange of culture and trade was a necessity and Indonesia now had a lot to
learn from China since economic prosperity and political stability had been seen
in the latter one, she said, while opening an international trade show on
sideline of the anniversary.
"I have the research of China's reality as a required course for myself," she
added. The anniversary has
finished most of its agenda such as trade show, gala parade, inauguration of new
temple and seminars. Others like folk art exhibition and performance are still
underway. Some 10,000 people
have rushed to the port city to experience the carnival, making the local hotels
fully booked and restaurants
packed. The anniversary is
expected to cost some 300,000 US dollars and can benefit the city in the fields
of tourism and investment as a long-term effect, according to Li Botu, Chairman
of the Anniversary Organizing
Committee. Zheng He once
navigated the West Ocean for seven times. He and his fleet stopped at Semarang
for three times, leaving several historical sites for the capital
city. Semarang is renowned
in Indonesia as a tourist destination and for its marine products, port facility
as well as the 200,000 Indonesian Chinese residents who conduct regular
commercial exchange with their counterparts in China. Enditem
|
|
[
2005-08-07
] |
|