Zheng He's Guan Chang官厂 (Official Base) in Sumatra

By Captain Lim Keow Wah, Singapore

From the Malacca Guan Chang官厂 to the Sumatra Guan Chang官厂

The “Mao Kun map 茅坤图” from” Wubei Zhi 武备誌 (1628)” (Records of Military Preparedness) or the Zheng He Navigation Map Figure 1 marks two Guan Chang官厂(Official Base) of Zheng He's fleet within the Malacca Strait. One, more familiar, is located west of the mouth of the Malacca River. The other Guan Chang官厂 (Official Base) is situated near a small island off the northern coast of Sumatra Island – Pulau Lhokseumawe.

Ma Huan马欢 describes in the "Sumatra" section of his <Yingya Shenglan瀛涯胜览(1451)> (The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores):

"The country of Sumentala苏门答剌 (Sumatra) is the ancient kingdom of Samudra. This place is the main thoroughfare of the Western Ocean. Treasure ships sail southwest from” Manlajia满剌加” (Malacca); with favourable wind for five days and nights, they first reach a coastal village named Tailuman苔鲁蛮” See other possible names “Tarman or Taruman Fig. 1A. Moor the ships there; the country is about ten Li十余里 (over 5 km) to the southeast. The country has no city walls, only a large freshwater river flowing into the sea, with tides rising and falling twice daily. The waves at the river mouth are large, and ships often sink there. To the south, several hundred Li里 (few hundreds km) away, are great mountains; to the north is the great sea; to the east are also great mountains, extending to the boundary of “A Lu Country 阿鲁国” due west is the great sea."

Scholars widely agree that the coastal village named “Tailuman苔鲁蛮” is the location of the Sumatra Island Guan Chang官厂 (Official Base).

**Figure 1**: Zheng He's Nautical Chart: Malacca Strait - Distance from the Official Base in the Samudera Pasai Kingdom to the Malacca Official Base is 645 km via Compass Route (3)

**Figure 1A**: During research on Marco Polo Travel Note at Sumatra, “Tailuman苔鲁蛮” may be also possible refer to names of “Tarman or Taruman “

Zhang Jiangqi's article: "Zheng He's Astronomical Navigation Technology…" was published on page 103 of the 2012 book "Zheng He and the Afro-Asian World". He used 15 different compass routes or courses from Zheng He's voyages to calculate the fleet's average speed as 6.65 km/h, which is 3.59 knots. Under generally low wind speeds in the Singapore Strait, the author calculated the Zheng He fleet's speed as 3.06 knots. If we apply this same speed (3.06 knots) measured by the author for the Singapore Strait to the Malacca Strait, the total distance covered over 5 days and nights from Malacca to the Samudera Pasai Kingdom, as recorded by Ma Huan, should be: 3.06 knots x 1.853 km x 2.4 hours x 10 Gengs更 x 5 days = 680 km (1).

Ma Huan's description: "The treasure ships sailed southwest from the Malacca Kingdom with favourable winds for five days and nights, first reaching a coastal village named Tailuman苔鲁蛮 contains an error in the course "southwest... for five days and nights". Sailing southwest from Malacca for only 80 km (six Gengs更) would mean crossing the Malacca Strait and reaching Rupat Island (Chicken Bone Islet 鸡骨屿 on Zheng He's chart) opposite, making further progress impossible. This erroneous course description would incorrectly place Tailuman Island on the mid-eastern coast of Sumatra. The author believes the Yingya Shenglan mistakenly recorded the correct northwest direction as southwest. Zheng He's nautical chart shows the return compass route from the Samudera Pasai Kingdom to Malacca as roughly southeast. Reversing this 180 degrees for the voyage to Samudera Pasai (from Malacca) yields the correct course: northwest. Satellite image Figure 2 shows that sailing northwest from Malacca for 666 km Figure 2 leads to Tailuman (Lhokseumawe Island).

According to the compass routes and number of watches recorded in the Mao Kun map of the Wubei Zhi or Zheng He's nautical chart for the journey from Samudera Pasai to Malacca (sum of Gengs更: 5+5+15+4+15+3=47 Gengs), the calculated distance is: 5 km + (3.06 knots x 1.853 km/h x 2.4 hours x 47 Gengs) = 645 km (3).

The three distances calculated from different sources – (1) Ma Huan's 5-day & night voyage: 680 km, (2) Satellite image: 666 km, (3) Zheng He's chart: 645 km – are all very close and accurate (except for Ma Huan's erroneous southwest course). These distances, derived from different sources or methods, demonstrate high accuracy and credibility regarding the course and distance from Malacca to Tailuman (Lhokseumawe Island) and its Official Base.

**Figure 2**: Satellite map showing a calculated route of 666 km on a bearing of 325° NW from the Malacca Official Base to the Lhokseumawe Official Base within the Malacca Strait (2).

Locations Passed from the Sumatran Kingdom Guan Chang to the Malacca Guan Chang on Zheng He's Nautical Chart:

Figure 2 illustrates that the route on Zheng He's Nautical Chart from the Sumatra Official Base to the Malacca Official Base consists of multiple legs rather than a single straight course. Apart from the initial leg from Sumatra to Diamond Point using the Chou-Gen丑艮 (037.5°) compass heading for 25 km, the predominant headings are approximately 145° (325° opposite heading) or south eastward towards Malacca. The accuracy of the route is calculated based on the compass headings (zhenlu针路) and distance (gengcheng更程) recorded between the start and end points of each leg. This enables the sequential identification of ancient place names on Zheng He's chart and their corresponding modern locations from north to south.

The following table presents data from Zheng He's Nautical Chart:

- Left Column: Ancient place names in the western (Indonesian) waters of the Strait.

- Middle Column: Corresponding modern place names.

- Right Column: Ancient place names in the eastern (Malaysian) waters of the Strait.

The congruence between the recorded courses, distances, and the ancient/modern toponymy presented in the table below confirms the accuracy and reliability of Zheng He's Nautical Chart within the Malacca Strait.

Nautical Chart Names(Indonesia) Current local names Nautical Chart Names (Malaysia)

Guan Chang官厂(Official Base Sumatra Lhokseumawe

Chinese Camp

Sumatra Pasai Istana Pasai

Jishuiwan急水湾 (Rapid Bay) Idirayeuk埃迪埃瑞

Balu巴碌头 Langsa

Penang Islet槟榔屿 Penang

Ganbei port甘杯港 Pangkalan Susu

Alu亚路（阿鲁） Medan

Danyu单屿( Single Islet) (No name indicated on Satellite map)

Pangkor Island Chengongyu陈公屿

ShuangYu双屿 (Twin Islets) Pu. Pandang & Pu. Salahnamo

Port Klang Island Mianhuayu棉花屿 (cotton Islet)

Jiguyu鸡骨屿 (Chicken Bone Islet) Rupat Island

Cape Rachado Jiawuyu假五屿（False Five Islets）

Lorong Han Jebat Guan Chang官厂(Official Base Malacca）

Lhokseumawe Island

Lhokseumawe as shown in Figure 3, means "whirlpool in the sea." Lhokseumawe Island is located off the east coast of North Sumatra, separated by a very narrow strait or river, 20-200 meters wide.

The island stretches 7 km long in a northwest-southeast orientation, with a maximum width of 2 km. The city centre and population are concentrated in the southern part.

On the western side of the island's southern tip, there was originally a bay about 600 meters wide and 800 meters long. A few years ago, a dam was built, turning it into a reservoir.

The original name of Lhokseumawe was Teluk Samawe. "Teluk" means bay. For unknown reasons in the 20th century, the island was renamed Teluk Semawe.

Teluk Semawe Bay

In an 1887 book titled "Teluk Semawe Aceh" by Dutch Captain Von Schmidt, the captain described Teluk Semawe as "the best harbor on Aceh’s northern coast—a place that is safe, comfortable, quiet, and healthy." A map from this book Figure 4, drawn by Von Schmidt, labels a place at northwestern bay as "Telok Semawe," indicating a settlement along its shore. A coastal road named "Jalan Pase" appears alongside the bay, which may phonetically correspond to the "Pafseir" settlement shown in Figure 5. These two proximate locations likely refer to the same site. Unfortunately, no trace of the harbor can be identified in modern maps.

**Figure 4**: The 1887 map by Dutch Captain Von Schmidt marks the place name Telok Semawe on the northwestern shore of the bay.

Gampong Pusong

At the northeastern end of the inner harbor, near the coastal village of Gampong Pusong, a main road named Jalan Sukaramai had already been built to this location by the time of the 1898 map. A nautical chart drawn by Captain George Francis in 1784 (Figure 5) covers the area from Diamond Point to Pafseir. At the northeastern end of the inner bay, an anchorage symbol is marked. The water depth here ranges from 3 fathoms (5.5 meters) to 13 fathoms (23.8 meters), sufficient for treasure ship class vessels with a draught of up to 6 meters to enter and exit. Most importantly, south of the small river mouth, there is a square structure marked as a "Fort". It is unknown whether this was built during the Portuguese or Dutch period, or even earlier. This location could possibly be the "best harbor on the northern coast of Aceh" as described by Von Schmidt.

**Figure 5**: Produced by George France in 1784, depicts an old fort near Kampong Pusong at the northeastern end of the bay.

Generally, bays, due to their topography offering shelter from wind and waves, are more suitable locations for building wharves or selecting anchorages for harbours. These two locations – Teluk Semawe / Pafseir and Gampong Pusong (Kampong Pusong) – situated at the northwestern and northeastern sides respectively within the bay at the southern end of the island, are better shielded from the heavy seas of the Andaman Sea or the Strait of Malacca. Consequently, these two locations within the bay were qualified candidates to become the earliest sites for constructing wharves or establishing anchorages on the island.

Teluk Semawe Wharf, Barracks, Chinese Camp - 1898

Another chart by Von Schmidt from 1898, Figure 6 Teluk Semawe, shows an old "T"-shaped jetty extending from the eastern shore (1.1 km from the southern tip) of the island facing the Strait of Malacca. Immediately north of the access path to the wharf onshore is a compound with square enclosures, annotated as "Milithire Berretting" ("Military Caps/Military Headgear?" Translator's Note: This Dutch label appears phonetically unusual; "Militaire Barakken" [Military Barracks] or similar might be intended. However, at the same location, Figure 4 labels it "Plaats van de Oude Benting" ("Location of the Old Fort/Bastion") and even depicts it as a military fortress resembling a square citadel with four round corner towers.

Immediately south of the access path to the wharf onshore is a compound with rectangular enclosures, annotated as "Chineesche Kamp" (Chinese Camp). Between these two compounds is annotated "Civiel Etablissement" (Civil Establishment). Near the jetty in the sea, an anchor symbol indicates that this water area served as a harbor and provided good anchorage.

**Figure 6**: 1898 Chart. Military Hat/Barracks; Civilian Construction; Chinese Camp; Old Jetty, at the southeastern end of Teluk Semawe Island.

The Large Square Well

Notably, on the western side of the island in Figure 6, there is a location marked "Mon" (Well) "Geudong" (Large). This is an ancient, large square well measuring 2.5x2.5 meters. It is now located in the centre of the main hall of the Syuhada Mon Geudong Mosque. The inner walls of the well are lined with thin rectangular red bricks, while the foundations at the bottom of the four walls rest on large cobblestones. Live spring water is still in use within the well, as shown in Figure 7.

The origin of this ancient well could not be determined; it is estimated to be several hundred years old, predating the construction of the mosque. Due to its substantial size, it could have served the needs of many people in ancient times. The time of its construction, its history, and the specific groups who originally used it merit investigation regarding their significance to the development of this area.

**Figure 7**: Syuhada Mon Geudong Mosque (Grand Mosque) - Ancient Well with Surrounding Walls and Base

If we take the straight main road marked on Figure 6 (the 1898 Nautical Chart of Teluk Semawe), starting from the Barracks/Military Camp, Civil Construction, Chinese Camp, and old Jetty, along with the surrounding terrain, we can locate the present day positions of the 1898 Barracks/Military Camp, Civil Construction, Chinese Camp, and old jetty on Satellite Image Figure 8. The main road originating from this area is now the island's widest avenue, Jalan Merdeka (Merdeka Street). Both sides of this avenue are lined with commercial buildings, hotels, and department stores, making it the busiest central area.

**Figure 8**: Approximate locations of military barracks, civil construction sites, the Chinese camp, and the old jetty from the 1898 nautical chart, overlaid on the satellite imagery.

Figure 9 Projects the positions of the military barracks, civil buildings, Chinese camp, and old pier from the 1898 chart onto a satellite image, showing their approximate street locations. The area of the former military barracks covered the present-day sites of the Mayor's Office and Immigration Department. Figure 10 The rectangular area of the former Chinese Camp was located between the present-day parallel streets of Jalan Sukaramai Figure 10, Jalan Perdagangan (meaning Trade Street) Figure 11, and Jalan Gudang (meaning Warehouse Street) Figure 12. Its northern boundary was the main road Jalan Merdeka, and its southern boundary was Jalan Perniagaan (meaning Commercial Street).

All the above locations are related to ships, maritime transport, piers, and warehouses. Today, both sides of these three parallel streets are lined with newly built 2-3 storey structures housing shops and residences. Unfortunately, Google Street View reveals no trace of old buildings or warehouses; they have likely all been demolished and replaced by new constructions. The conditions here gave rise to the island's earliest developed and most prosperous commercial trade centre hundreds of years ago, continuing its activity to this day.

**Figure 9**: Military Caps/Barracks on the 1898 Chart; Civil Construction; Chinese Camp; Approximate location of the old jetty projection overlaid on a satellite street map.

**Figure 10**: Jalan Sukaramai Street and Buildings.

**Figure 11**: Jalan Perdagangan (meaning "Trade Street") Street and Buildings.

**Figure 12**: Jalan Gudang (meaning "Warehouse Street") Street and Buildings.

Lhokseumawe Guan Chang (Official Base) to Samudra Kingdom/Pasai

Ma Huan stated: "First arrive at a coastal village named Tailuman. Moor the ships, then travel southeast for over 10 li 里 (over 5 km) to reach (the Kingdom of Samudra) ". The Samudra Kingdom was an ancient Southeast Asian kingdom located in present-day northern Sumatra, Indonesia. "Sumudala" (苏木都剌) is the transliteration of the Sanskrit word "Samudra", meaning "Ocean". It was also known as the Pasai Kingdom. The Samudra Kingdom was founded in the late 13th century. Situated on a key East-West trade route, it was an important hub for trade between Arabia, India, and China. In the 19th year of the Zhiyuan至元 era of the Yuan Dynasty (1282 AD), it sent envoys to establish friendly relations with China. Marco Polo visited the area during his westward journey in 1292. Ibn Battuta also stayed there on his way to China. By the mid-14th century, the Samudra Kingdom had become a vassal of the Majapahit Kingdom. In the early 15th century, Zheng He's voyages reached the kingdom three times. The palace of the Samudra/Pasai Kingdom now only exists as ruins with no above-ground structures remaining. However, the tombs of the Sultans are located 1.3 km west of the Pasai River estuary, approximately 1 km south of the coast of the Strait of Malacca. See Figure 13.

**Figure 13**: Course from Lhokseumawe Official Base to the Samudra Kingdom (Samudra/Pasai). The south eastward voyage distance is 7 km, located west of the Pasai River estuary.

The Location of the Guan Chang (Official Base) in Lhokseumawe

Despite examining modern Indonesian maps, as well as 18th to 19th-century Dutch and French historical maps, the author has been unable to locate any place name corresponding to the coastal village of the Guan Chang官厂 (Official Base) / Tailuman 苔鲁蛮. Furthermore, no local historical records or physical remnants related to the Official Base have yet been found.

From satellite imagery (Figure 13), if one sails northwest for 7 km from the Kingdom of Samudera Pasai (苏木都剌国/巴赛) – the opposite direction of Ma Huan’s description "sailing southeast over ten li里 " – one arrives at the southern part of Lhokseumawe Island. This direction and distance match Ma Huan's account and essentially confirm that the Official Base was located on Lhokseumawe Island, specifically in its southern region.

Identifying the Precise or Most Probable Location of the Guan Chang on Lhokseumawe Island, the following three locations (Figure 14 aerial images), all within the southern part of the island and at most 1.4 km apart from each other, satisfy Ma Huan's directional and distance requirement of the Official Base being "over ten li 里 to the southeast of the Kingdom of Samudera (Sumatra)". The potential site of the Guan Chang (Official Base) can therefore be considered at these three places:

1. Teluk Semawe / Pafseir on the northwest shore of the bay.

2. Gampong Pusong on the northeast shore of the bay.

3. Chineesche Kamp (中国营 - Chinese Camp) on the island's east coast, facing the Strait of Malacca.

Assessment of the Three Candidate Sites

All three locations possess characteristics suitable for hosting the Official Base:

Sites (1) and (2) are both situated inside Teluk Semawe Bay.

However, the current level of development on land around sites (1) and (2) – including warehouses, streets, commercial/trade activities, and urban infrastructure – is far less extensive compared to site (3), Chineesche Kamp on the east coast facing the Strait of Malacca and its anchorage.

The location of the Malacca Official Base and the layout of its old city commercial streets, their connections, and warehouse locations can serve as a reference point for comparison.

**Figure 14：** Aerial Images: 1) Teluk Semawe / Pafseir (2) Gampong Pusong (3) Chineesche Kamp

1898 Map, Figure 6: The "Chinese Camp" (Chineesche Kamp)

The Chinese Camp has a rectangular outline, possibly indicating a rectangular palisade or city wall. With dimensions of 200 meters long by 300 meters wide, its large area makes it a qualified candidate for the location of Guan Chang官厂（Official Base). Therefore, the term "Chinese Camp" likely signifies a "Chinese military camp," sharing similarities with the defensive structures and garrison housing seen at the Malacca Guan Chang官厂（ Official Base).

The streets within the Chinese Camp are named after warehouses, commerce, and trade, indicating their association with these activities. The warehouses on "Warehouse Street" and its short distance of about 300 meters from the sea and ships were crucial for the convenient loading and unloading of goods. The steep underwater slope near this coastline meant that a "T"-shaped jetty could be built without extending far from the shore, allowing deep-draft vessels to dock directly. Such pier was integral to ancient maritime transport, goods storage, and trade.

Across the major road, Jalan Merdeka, the square enclosure or fortification labeled "Military Cap/Old Soldier Camp" (Militaire Pet"/"Oude Soldaten Kamp) likely has a higher probability of being Dutch colonial military architecture (post-1796). This further reinforces the area's importance to the Dutch colonists for transport, commerce, and military purposes, and possibly represents a geographical and structural continuation of the old depot. Perhaps this was the model upon which the Portuguese colonists (1511) based their continuation of the Malacca Guan Chang's construction.

Summary:

Location of the Sumatra Official Base on Lokhsumawe Island, while there is currently no archaeological evidence or site confirmation for the precise location of the Guan Chang官厂（ Official Base) at Lokhsumawe Island, Sumatra, the term "Chinese Camp" (Chineesche Kamp) from location (3) on old maps is a key clue. It likely represents a "Chinese military camp" and could be the base established ashore by Zheng He's fleet personnel, featuring a palisaded enclosure, warehouses, and barracks. The author believes this site stands out as the most qualified candidate for the Guan Chang官厂（Official Base) mentioned in Zheng He's navigation charts or by Ma Huan as arriving first at the coastal village Tailuman," described as "the central hub of the Western Ocean."

Figure 15, published by the Dutch in Jakarta in 1935, shows old buildings from the Chinese Camp area extending south to Gampong Pusong. In fact, Figures 5 and 6 show that the edge of (3) Chineesche Kamp is only about 200 meters from (2) Gampong Pusong. Locations (2) and (3) might represent two separate harbours/ranges or overlapping sections of the same harbor.

**Figure 15**: Extent of old buildings in the Chinese Camp area spreading southward, Dutch map published in Jakarta, 1935)

It is hoped that local ancient documents, records, or folklore can support this article's viewpoint or strongly propose alternative locations. Some locals are researching the history of the island's old name, Teluk Semawe (Telok Semawe), in the 19th century; contact and exchange with them are desired. Searching for artifacts like porcelain left from the Yongle (early 15th century) period in the area would be helpful. The author hopes scholars researching the Maritime Silk Road can explore and uncover more clues related to Zheng He's Guan Chang官厂（ Official Base) in this location during the 15th century.

Captain Lim Keow Wah

Written in Chinese on 25 June 2024, Translated to English 22 June 2025

Served ExxonMobil for many years as Malacca Strait VLCC Navigation Advisor, Harbour Master, and

Chartering Adviser. Now retired.

President, Singapore Penjing & Stone Appreciation Society

Deputy Secretary, International Zheng He Society (Singapore)

Deputy Director, Zisha Pottery Professional Committee (China)

Organized large-scale antique auction

Antique Collector, Website for collections & research papers on Sea Silk Road: https://www.limkw.com

Email: limkeowwah@gmail.com Wechat: lkwah1953