“Zishi” (from 11：00 p.m. to 1：00 a.m.) and wouldn，t get uptill “Wushi” (from 11：00 a.m. to 1：00 p.m.)， and they wentto drink and dance every night when the moon rose. Withthe calendars Zheng He gave away， local people learntabout the divisions of the 24 solar terms and intercalarymonths. They also reduced the nighttime to eight drumbeats. These changes greatly pushed the developmentof astronomy and meteorology and gave people a morescientific agenda for their lives and production.
Exporting Chinese copper coins. Zheng He would carrylots of Chinese copper coins during his visits to giveaway or trade. The Chinese copper coins Zheng He，s fleetexported soon spread across Southeast Asia and this led tothe replacement of shells by Chinese copper coins in thosecountries. Good for the circulation of commodities， theChinese currency system was used from the 15 th centuryto the eve of World War II in the 20 th century. Today， theinhabitants in Bali， Indonesia， still use strings of Chinesecopper coins as indispensable divine instruments inreligious ceremonies.
“Zheng He made prominent contributions indeveloping trade in Southeast Asia and improvingpeople，s lives. Chinese copper coins， meteorology systemand governmental organizations that were widely trustedacross Southeast Asia were all introduced by Zheng Heduring his voyages，” said Zhao Zehong， a contemporary
品流通。中国的货币金融制度自15世纪起通行了几个世纪，直到20世纪第二次世界大战前才停止。现在印尼巴厘岛一带的居民，又将中国铜钱结成一串一串吊起来，作为宗教仪式上不可或缺的神器使用。
当代马来西亚学者赵泽洪说：“在发展南洋经济贸易、改善生活方面，郑和作出了突出的贡献。南洋各国各地都信任的中国钱币、度量衡制度和政府组织等等，都是郑和下西洋期间从中国带出来而在南洋流通、通行的。”
敷宣文教。郑和使团在海外直接或间接帮助亚非
Malaysian scholar.
Advocating Chinese culture and religion. While goingout to help other countries establish their own systemsof politics， rituals， laws and currencies， Zheng，s fleetalso invited foreign envoys to visit China， with a viewto better imparting on them Chinese culture and rituals.For example， during traditional festivals， foreign envoyswould be invited to mingle with Chinese people，attending dinner parties， shootings and lantern showsand visiting parks or gardens. In 1423， over 1，200 envoysfrom 16 Asian and African countries including Hormuzin West Asia returned with Zheng He to China for avisit. They were further invited to the grand ceremony of“entering Juyongguan” launched by Emperor Yongle twomonths later. Naturally， it，s no wonder the envoys， whosaw all the grandness of the Chinese rituals and etiquettesin person， were deeply attracted by Chinese civilizationand morality and urgently hoped for a change in theirbackward conventions.
Zheng，s voyages to the Western Oceans increased thematerial， spiritual and institutional cultural exchangesbetween China and the rest of Asia and Africa， and greatlypushed forward the social and economic developmentof the Asian and African countries， Southeast Asiancountries in particular. This is why the people inSoutheast Asia regard Zheng He as the man from the gods
国家建立健全国家制度、礼仪制度、法律制度、货币制度，邀请各国使节到中国访问，使其目睹中国的社会文明，接受中华礼仪的熏陶。逢喜庆节会，明廷常邀外国使节与臣民同乐，参加酒宴、射击、观灯、游园等活动。1423年郑和第六次下西洋时，曾偕同包括西亚忽鲁谟斯在内的亚非16个国家的1200余名使臣随郑和船队访问明朝。16国使臣在中国访问两个月后，又应邀参加迎接永乐皇帝“车入居庸关”的盛典。1200名外国使臣亲身感受明朝政府和中国人民的优厚礼遇，亲见中国文物典章之美，目睹“天朝太平乐事之盛”，自然为中华文教道德的魅力所吸引，仰慕中华文明制度，愿意改变自己欠文明的落后习俗。
郑和下西洋促进了中国与亚非国家之间的物质文化、精神文化和制度文化的交流，大大推进了亚非国家尤其是东南亚国家社会经济文化的发展。正因为如此，东南亚各国人民把郑和视为上帝的福荫，把郑和奉为神灵，顶礼膜拜直到今天。东南亚人民视野中的郑和，历经600多年文化积淀，已然衍变成具有多方文化内涵和象征意义的符号，进而从明代中国的历史文化范畴演化为具有本区域历史内涵的文化现象。从这
whom they have honored and adored to this day. In theireyes， the name of “Zheng He” has become a symbol thatincorporates diverse cultural connotations after 600-plusyears of evolution.
At the same time， the Chinese historical episode fromthe Ming Dynasty has grown into a cultural phenomenonwith local historical connotations. In this sense， ZhengHe was significant to more than just Chinese history；he was a giant respected by all people across SoutheastAsia and even the world. The history of Zheng He，svoyages boosted Sino-foreign cultural exchanges anddemonstrates that culture has no walls or boundaries.It is the common wealth created by all humans. Cultureflows from higher locations to lower ones and from placeswhere it is abundant to places where it is wanted. There isno exception to this in modern or ancient times in Chinaor elsewhere. Exporting culture shall be deemed as anobligation of culturally advanced countries， rather than afavor. Importing an alien culture is a right， not a shamefulweakness. Cultural exchanges are needed around theworld. They help human culture and society advance.Nobody can stop their positive effects upon humanhistory.
During the Sino-foreign cultural exchanges triggeredby Zheng，s voyages， the Chinese culture of the MingDynasty contributed its treasures to Asian and African
个意义来说，郑和不仅是中华民族的历史伟人，也是东南亚乃至全世界人民共同敬仰的历史伟人。
郑和下西洋推动中外文化交流的史实说明：文化没有围墙，文化没有国界。它是人类创造的共同财富。文化是流动的，从高处到低处、从充实的地方到空虚的地方流动，古今中外毫无不同。输出文化到异国，应当看作是先进国家的责任，而不可看作恩惠；接受异国先进文化，应当看作是一种权利，而不应讳为缺点。文化交流是人类的需要。它促进了人类文化的发展，推动着人类社会前进。文化交流一旦进行，其碰撞交融后所激发出来的历史进步作用是任何人都无法阻止的。在郑和下西洋引发的中外文化交流中，明代中国文化向亚非国家贡献了自己的珍品，同时也吸纳亚非国家文
nations and， at the same time， absorbed the essence ofthe alien cultures and grew more diversified. There werequite a few sailors in Zheng，s fleet who couldn，t continuethe trips because of hurricanes， robberies or diseases.For survival， they had to stay on overseas islands， wherethey worked hard and raised offspring. They became thefirst group of overseas Chinese in those places. ZhengHe，s voyages made the sea routes between China andthe countries in the Western Oceans completely smooth.Furthermore， the advanced Chinese culture Zheng He，sfleet exported to Southeast Asia laid a foundation for theregion to flourish. Both paved way for the mass migrationto Southeast Asia by Chinese people， especially thosein China，s southeast Fujian and Guangdong provinces.The historical facts prove that overseas Chinese were themain force in the social development of Southeast Asia.In this regard， it can be said that Zheng He，s voyages tothe Western Oceans kicked off mass Chinese migration toSoutheast Asia and the later development.
化的精华，丰富提高了自身。
郑和船队船员在航海过程中，或遭风漂泊，或遇寇被掠，或病虐不能续航者，为数不少。这些人员留居海外岛屿，为了生存，必然努力开发荒岛，并传育子孙，成为这些岛屿上最早的一批华侨。郑和下西洋完全打通了中国通往西洋各国的海上通道，加之郑和船队向南洋人民传输中国先进文化，使南洋地区显示出广阔的开发前景，这就为更多的中国人特别是东南沿海如闽广两省的人民“下南洋”创造了条件。后来的事实证明：华侨是开发南洋、促进南洋社会发展的生力军。故从这个意义来考量，可以说，郑和下西洋揭开了华侨大量徙居南洋、开发南洋的序幕。
