Cheng Ho Maritime Sea Route Inaugurated
Indonesia's Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Indroyono Soesilo inaugurated on Saturday the Cheng Ho sea route package aimed at attracting mainly Chinese tourists.
The tourism route is named "The Cheng Ho Sea Route: Archipelagic Sailing" after the legendary Chinese admiral, a Muslim eunuch from the Ming Dynasty who led voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and East Africa between 1405 and 1433.
The sea route is part of Admiral Cheng Ho’s important history, which brought the Chinese empire’s peace message. Similar trips will also be offered in Aceh, Palembang, Bangka Belitung, Jakarta, Cirebon, Semarang, Surabaya and Bali, which were visited by the admiral.
The present tourism route covers Batam, Aceh, Palembang, Bangka Belitung, Jakarta, Semarang, Cirebon, Surabaya and Bali, which the admiral visited.
Although there were no traces of Cheng Ho ever visiting Batam, Guntur was adamant that Cheng Ho’s ship entered Indonesia through the Malacca Strait and Batam waters.
"This is an important asset, particularly for attracting tourists from China. The Chinese respect their ancestors and their cultural heritage," Indroyono said.
Chinese traders considered "Nusantara" (archipelago), present-day Indonesia, very important and significantly influenced Indonesian culture.
Riau Islands Tourism Agency head Guntur Sakti said that China was a big tourist market for Indonesia