Talk title: Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral: Zheng He and the Chinese Overseas

 This presentation examines the processes of landscape- and heritage-making associated with Zheng He in Java, Malacca, and Singapore. By exploring the veneration of Zheng He among both Chinese Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Java, the curation of his legacy in Malacca, and the broader issue of heritage-making in Singapore, this study seeks to address two key questions: Why did Zheng He matter to the Chinese overseas? And how did the Chinese overseas transform his legacy? It draws on the concepts of “superscription” and “Zheng He after Zheng He” to argue that Southeast Asia played a pivotal role in shaping Zheng He’s legacy.