Photos of the Melaka Cheng Ho Cultural Museum. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full size image.
Mock-up of ship's hold
The Tea Shoppe
Cheng Ho becomes a eunuch (OUCH!)
The Ming dynasty admiral Cheng Ho (or Zheng He) figures prominently in the history of Melaka. He visited the city-state on at least five of his seven great voyages, and set up his own warehouse / depot in the area. It is even said that he intervened on Melaka's behalf when the Siamese threatened to invade (the Siamese are the recurring 'bad guys' in Melaka's long history).
Cheng Ho was born in 1371 into a Muslim family descended from a Persian immigrant, near Kunming in Yunnan province. In 1381 the Ming emperor sent his armies to Yunnan to put down an uprising. The young Cheng Ho (then called Ma He) was captured, and at the age of 11 he was castrated and sent to serve at the Imperial court (only eunuchs could serve at court, some versions of this story suggest Cheng Ho underwent the procedure willingly). Cheng Ho rose up through the ranks of court, and in 1405 was named admiral in charge of a vast fleet of ships.
Between 1405 and 1433 Cheng Ho lead his fleet on seven voyages, reaching the far corners of the Indian Ocean. Although he traveled with a large army that included horses, Cheng Ho's voyages were largely diplomatic, with the aim of spreading China's influences throughout the region. Of course, that huge fleet (as many as 317 ships) and army pretty much insured that Cheng Ho got a warm welcome where-ever he landed. His voyages took him as far as east Africa, and some have argued he may have even visited the shores of North America. Cheng He died in 1425 while making his seventh voyage. After his death, the Chinese emperor ordered the fleet burned and China turned inward.
The Museum
The museum was built in Melaka's Chinatown, in an area where some believe Cheng Ho's warehouse must once have been. Several old shophouses were restored and linked together to form the museum. The huge space covers the life of Cheng Ho and his voyages. There are mock-ups of the hold of his treasure ships (including a life-size model of the giraffe he supposedly bought back to China) and a full working 'tea shop'. There's also an automated puppet show recounting Cheng Ho's life and journey.
The Cheng Ho Cultural Museum is open daily 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. Admission is RM 10.00 (2.04 USD). See the Chinatown map for location.