By Sebastian Lim
PENANG is set to host the inaugural Commonwealth of World Chinatowns (CWC) Conference from Sept 3 to 8, 2025 at the JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La — an ambitious convergence of art, science, history, and culture that propels the legacy of global diasporic Chinatown communities into the future.
The guest of honour for the opening event on Sept 5, 2025, at 8.30am will be Mr Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang. He will also be attending the gala dinner at the Grand Ballroom of JEN Penang on Sept 6, 2025. The dinner will feature Stella Kon's Dinner with Emily show (click here). Dinner tables are open for bookings (click here).
Gathering of insight and innovation
Institutions such as the 1421 Research Education and Exploration Foundation will play pivotal roles in shaping the conference narrative. Led by President Ian Hudson, the foundation spearheads research and exhibitions exploring early Chinese exploration and diaspora networks while bridging East and West — from Zheng He to Leonardo da Vinci (click here).

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONFERENCE

Prof Gerald Pollack – Exploring the frontiers of water science
On Wednesday, Sept 3, the Public Session features Prof Gerald Pollack (picture above) who will be delivering an illuminating talk titled “Forbidden knowledge? Water science at the frontiers of human knowledge”. He will explore topics such as fourth-phase water, mangrove desalination, and the AI hypothesis of life itself — threading science with visionary insights. (Click here)

“Zheng He–Da Vinci Juxtapose” exhibition

Highlighting the transcultural exchange of knowledge, the evening of Friday, Sept 5 sees an art launch at the Courtyard at Beach Street, Georgetown, titled Zheng He–Da Vinci Juxtapose (click here). This exhibition, curated with support from the 1421 Foundation, examines how exploration and creativity shaped both East and West. It forms part of a broader exhibition on Zheng He’s voyages and the Renaissance, inviting contemplation on cultural synthesis.
Sundaland & Southeast Asia’s megalithic civilisations

On Sept 3 (public session) and again on Sept 5 (official opening day), Prof Danny Hilman Natawidjaja from Indonesia presents on Sundaland pyramids and Southeast Asia’s megalithic civilisations. His talks unveil archaeological and geological findings with implications for understanding ancient regional complexity and civilisation development (click here).
International Space Academy & Young Cosmonaut School

The conference bridges to the cosmos with a suite of space-education programmes. Sept 3 launches the "Voyages: Ancient Maritime Silk Road to the Cosmos" student session. Highlights include a screening of The Challenge — the first feature film shot in space — followed by talks on China’s aerospace journey, eVTOL air-taxis, and the Malaysian space economy by Tan Sri Dr Mazlan Othman. The session culminates with presentations on the Young Cosmonaut School and Penang International Space Academy (click here).

On Sept 5, during the International Space Academy Plenary, there’s a tightly curated agenda featuring: * Tan Sri Mazlan Othman offering an overview of the academy (click here). * Ms Wu Xiaoxi discussing Chinese space education. * Timofey Egorov delving into Russian Cosmism and ethics in space (click here). * A culminating panel with Othman, Egorov, and Xiaoxi on pathways toward an International Youth Space Camp, spaceports, and asteroid mining.

Behind the scenes, the International Youth Space Academy (IYSA) is being developed through a collaboration between the Nonee Ashirin Foundation (NAF) and CWC Enterprise Pte Ltd, anchored in Penang as a flagship space-education centre for youth (click here). The IYSA brings together partners like Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, Tech Dome Penang, and national space figures including Tan Sri Mazlan Othman.
There are many more interesting events lined up for the five-day CWC Conference. Check below for the link to the Conference programme.

The CWC Conference in Penang stands at the vibrant intersection of scientific frontiers, cultural heritage, and youth education. From Prof Pollack’s visionary exploration of water, to archaeological journeys across Sundaland, the evocative synthesis of East-West influences in the Zheng He–Da Vinci exhibition, and the launch of a pioneering space-education academy — this event promises to ignite connections across time, place, and imagination.

It’s a bold statement of how the histories rooted in Penang’s vibrant Chinatown can serve as gateways to global conversations — scientific, cultural, and cosmic alike. So watch this space for more new updates.

For more on CWC and the programme of the CWC Conference, click here and to register and get an early bird deal, click here.

Translated version of the press release (Editor: Pei Gang)

On 4 August 2025, the National Library of China held a donation ceremony. Renowned collectors Liu Gang and Chen Yu, along with their spouse, donated 630 types of precious ancient books, maps, and related publications – totalling 3,026 volumes (or pieces) – that they had meticulously collected and preserved over
several decades, to the National Library of China without any form of compensation.

This collection of literary treasures spans a vast timeframe and encompasses a wide range of subjects, with its highlights concentrated in fields such as astronomy, geography, mathematics, philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine, health preservation, and metaphysics, making it of significant academic research value.

In China, there are already very few collectors who have established specialised collections of ancient texts, and collectors like Liu Gang and Chen Yu, who have built a collection system with intellectual depth, are even rarer.

Among the numerous donated items is a copy of an ancient map titled ‘Map of Tribute-Paying Nations from All Over the World.’ Since its existence and some details were first publicly disclosed by the internationally authoritative magazine The Economist in January 2006, this map has sparked sustained and intense debate within the global historical, cartographic, and Sinological communities, emerging as one of the most controversial and research-worthy ancient maps of global significance. The copy faithfully reflects the
information of the original ancient map. The world outline depicted in the map, the foreign place names and customs marked, and especially the geographical information contained therein that transcends the mainstream understanding of the time, have been interpreted by some scholars as potentially challenging or supplementing existing narratives regarding the Age of Discovery, ancient Chinese worldviews, and the history of Sino-foreign exchanges.

Research into its authenticity, date of creation, information sources, and historical context has formed an important research topic in the international field of cartographic history over the past two decades. The inclusion of this copy of the ‘Map of Tribute-Paying Nations’ in the National Library of China, a national-level research institution, undoubtedly opens up new and more convenient academic  channels for domestic and international scholars to conduct close-up and in-depth research into the rich historical codes and diverse cultural values it contains, and is expected to drive related research to a deeper level.

Donation ceremony 
The donation by Liu Gang and Chen Yu was one of the most significant and valuable private donations received by the National Library of China since 1949, particularly in the fields of ancient maps and specialised literature. This collection of precious documents has not only greatly enriched the National
Library’s collection system but has also significantly expanded its holdings in areas such as the history of science and technology, the history of ideas, and the history of Sino-foreign exchanges. The National Library has included this collection in its ‘Ancient Books Special Collection’ for permanent preservation, further highlighting the unique value and profound significance of these documents. The significance of Liu Gang and Chen Yu’s donation to the National Library lies in the transformation of ‘private collections’ into
‘public assets,’ ensuring that the achievements of millennia of civilisation are preserved for future generations and benefit the public.

Read more online here.

A 7.5-meter (25-foot) dugout canoe was made using replicas of ancient stone tools.
Researchers have explored how early modern humans migrated by sea from Taiwan to southern Japan approximately 30,000 years ago. 
To unravel the mysteries of these difficult ancient voyages, the researchers employed a unique combination of numerical simulations and experimental archaeology. 
Interestingly, researchers from Japan and Taiwan, led by Professor Yousuke Kaifu of the University of Tokyo, recreated a 30,000-year-old sea crossing. 
The team set out in their handmade canoe, making the entire experience as authentic as possible.
For this, a 25-foot (7.5-meter) dugout canoe was made using replicas of ancient stone tools. The canoe was paddled about 140 miles (225 kilometers) across the open ocean, connecting eastern Taiwan to Yonaguni Island in Japan’s Ryukyu group.
How early human populations navigated the seas between islands like Taiwan and Southern Japan has remained a captivating mystery.
“We initiated this project with simple questions: ‘How did Paleolithic people arrive at such remote islands as Okinawa?’ ‘How difficult was their journey?’ ‘And what tools and strategies did they use?’” said Kaifu. 
“Archaeological evidence such as remains and artifacts can’t paint a full picture as the nature of the sea is that it washes such things away. So, we turned to the idea of experimental archaeology, in a similar vein to the Kon-Tiki expedition of 1947 by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl,” the author added.
One paper used numerical simulations to test navigating the strong Kuroshio Current. The simulation revealed that skillful boat-making and navigation could overcome the Kuroshio Current even with ancient tools.
The other paper detailed the heart of their experiment: building a real boat or canoe dubbed “Sugime.” In 2019, they reportedly built a dugout canoe from a Japanese cedar trunk, using replicas of 30,000-year-old stone tools.

The canoe was paddled in the Ryukyu group from eastern Taiwan to Yonaguni Island.
For over 45 hours, they navigated the open sea, often with their destination out of sight, relying solely on the sun, stars, swells, and their instincts.
The team initially theorized that ancient people used rafts for sea crossings.
However, experiments showcased that rafts were too slow and lacked the durability to work against the ocean currents. In contrast, the dugout canoe proved to be both “fast and robust.” 
“We now know that these canoes are fast and durable enough to make the crossing, but that’s only half the story. Those male and female pioneers must have all been experienced paddlers with effective strategies and a strong will to explore the unknown,” said Kaifu. 
“We do not think a return journey was possible. If you have a map and know the flow pattern of the Kuroshio, you can plan a return journey, but such things probably did not take place until much later in history,” Kaifu added. 
The team also ran hundreds of virtual voyages using advanced ocean models to fill in the gaps that a single experiment couldn’t.
The simulations explored different starting locations, seasons, and paddling approaches, considering current and historical ocean conditions.
The research found various insights into ancient seafaring strategies: starting from northern Taiwan increased the chances of a successful crossing.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLESFurthermore, a key tactic was to paddle slightly southeast instead of directly towards the destination. This subtle but vital adjustment was essential for compensating against the powerful Kuroshio Current.
These findings suggest that our ancestors had a remarkably sophisticated understanding of ocean dynamics and navigation.
The findings were detailed in two papers published in the journal Science Advances on June 25.