Two believers bound by faith and history

The temple believed to have been built in Zheng He's memory after his death in 1433.[Photo provided to China Daily]

And the tribute does not stop there, Zheng Zihai says. Between 1412 and 1428, under the supervision of Zheng He, a grand Buddhist temple was built in Nanjing and known as Da Bao En Temple, or the Temple of Gratitude. Emperor Yongle (1360-1424) ordered its construction to honor the late emperor and empress, who were founders of the Ming Dynasty. Bearing in mind that Emperor Yongle moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1421, the Temple of Gratitude is often viewed as the ultimate commemorative gesture from the emperor who, rather ironically, ascended the throne by rebelling against and killing his nephew Emperor Huizong, to whom his father had originally passed the crown. And Zheng He, as an active participant in the military campaign, fought personally for the soon-to-be Emperor Yongle and gained his lifelong favor.

"Today, while the Fahai frescoes are worshipped as China's best preserved Ming frescoes, the murals that once adorned the wall of Da Bao En have vanished," Zheng Zihai says.

"However, according to the copperplate prints made by fore1ign artists in the 19th century, there used to be 118 rooms with murals in the precincts of Da Bao En, all splendidly painted with impressive detail.

"The construction of the Fahai Temple began in 1439, 11 years after Da Bao En was completed. Given the connections between Zheng He and Li Tong, it is highly likely that Li modeled his Fahai Temple on Da Bao En, especially when it came to the murals. For those who dream of the grandeur of Da Bao En, the more magnificent and majestic, Fahai frescoes may offer a tantalizing glimpse."