Kaisa Heritage Foundation and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Associations will commemorate the 600th anniversary of the visit of the Sultan of Sulu to China in 1417 with a photo exhibit and book launching on June 9 at Bahay Tsinoy Museum in Intramuros, Manila.
Sultan Paduka Batara, with a retinue of 340 people, arrived in Beijing on Sept. 12, 1417 with gifts to pay tribute to Ming Emperor Yong Le. On his way back to Sulu, he fell ill and died in Dezhou, Shandong. He was given an imperial burial.
The royal tomb of the Sultan is now a heritage park, the only tomb of a foreign monarch where a thriving village of his descendants still takes care of the tomb and the mosque where they continue to keep their Muslim faith.
That China continues to care for the tomb highlights the importance it gives to this symbol of long-lasting and continues relations between our two countries.
For the Philippines, the drama of the Sultan’s visit highlights the rich civilization, sophisticated political and economic system the Filipinos enjoy 104 years before Magellan.
“600 years of Enduring Friendship: beyond borders, beyond time” photo exhibit runs until June 30.