MANILA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- A new Sulu King research book, presented by China's Guangxi Normal University Press Group and the Philippines' 1986 Summer House Publishing, debuted on Friday in Manila to introduce the history of ancient Sino-Philippine exchanges for Filipinos.
The book, named "The Bridge of Sino-Philippines Friend: Marking the 600th anniversary of Sulu Sultan's Visiting to China", was published in 2017 with Chinese version and updated in 2018 with the Philippine version.
At the launch ceremony, the author, history professor of Dezhou University, Wang Shoudong, said the book mainly tells about the journey of Sulu King's visit to China 600 years ago. With piles of solid historical materials and pictures, readers can know the period of history better through the vivid stories.
In 1417, a large goodwill mission led by three kings of Sulu, in what is now the southern Philippines, ploughed through the Pacific Ocean to China to pay tribute to the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
On his way home, Paduka Pahala, the East King of Sulu, died in Dezhou, a city in east China's Shandong province. The Emperor Zhu Di commissioned artisans to build a tomb for the king, which still stands today in the Chinese city.
Some descendants of Paduka Pahala remained in China as grave keepers and were attended to by three Chinese families who were relocated to live with them. They picked up the surnames An and Wen during the Qing Dynasty, and now more than 3,700 descendants live in different parts of China.
"Paduka Pahala's visit to China opened up a new era of Sino-Philippines relations. Nowadays, the story of Sulu King's visit has been known in China and the Philippines, which both countries are proud of, " Wang said.
Christopher Lucas, the chief operating officer of 1986 Summer House Publishing, said it is the first Chinese book he introduced in Philippine book market. He believes that it is a milestone for both publishers to boost cooperation in the realm of culture and publishing.
"The book is a historical record of 600th anniversary of Sulu King visiting China. His visit served as a cornerstone of the long-lasting friendship between the Philippines and China. I assure the bond of the two countries will be more tight in the future, " said Yang Shengjiang, the chairman of Sino-Philippines Association of the Descendants of the Sulu King.
