Volume 23 of the series Maritime Asia contains eleven studies on the late Ming novel Sanbao
taijian Xiyang ji tongsu yanyi (short title Xiyang ji) which narrates Zheng He's adventures in
the Western Ocean. Xiyang ji is the earliest and best-known Zheng He narrative. Its
macro-structure resembles that of Xiyou ji and is equally complex as the text draws on diverse
sources. Besides looking at Xiyang ji from a sanjiao guiyi perspective or as a novel of quest
one can also make use of it for historical research sociological inquiries and above all
within the general framework of Maritime Studies. Five of the articles in the present
collection and the preface are in Chinese these parts were written by Huang Huizhen Xi
Longfei Zheng Run Zhou Ruyan Zou Zhenhuan and the Chinese editor. The other articles in
German are by Cai Jiehua Ralph Kauz Kathrin Messing Katrin Weigold Thomas Zimmer and the
German editor. All of them deal with Zheng He and his portrayal the circulation of his novel
the characteristics of his ships and concepts of space with certain elements taken from Sanguo
themes and various religious dimensions including some Islamic components the role of Tianfei
Mazu and the White Eel Spirit.
