Put aside your Chinese history textbooks for an evening and learn more about legendary Ming Dynasty explorer Zheng He through a lively drama to be performed by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKRep) in May.
Zheng He and the Emperor is a new play written by Stephen Shin Gei-yin - who is also the director - and Brian Chung Wai-kuen. In the play, they will re-enact the adventures of the courageous explorer at Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium.
'It is especially significant for us to stage the play this year because 2005 is the 600th anniversary of the beginning of Zheng He's navigating career,' Shin said.
Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng led one of the largest fleets in history - 260 ships with a 30,000 strong crew - to the West seven times.
He opened up the Marine Silk Road, establishing good relationships with foreign countries and spreading Chinese culture around the world. He died in India in 1433 on his way back from a voyage to the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and Africa.
Being a eunuch, Zheng's glorious life was not recorded in China's official historical records. Yet, according to some contemporary archaeological evidence, he is the first person who 'discovered the world', at least 70 years earlier than Columbus. Sun Wai-keung will play the role of Zheng in the drama. Sun said it was a great honour to portray such a historically significant man.
To prepare for the role, the actor read a lot of books to learn about Zheng's personality.
