The role of cheng ho mosque: The new silk road, Indonesia-China relations in islamic cultural identity

This article discusses the role of the Cheng Ho mosque in developing cultural, social, educational and religious aspects between the Chinese and non-Chinese in Indonesia and in strengthening the best relationship internationally between Indonesia and China. The Cheng Ho Mosque is one of the ethnic Chinese cultural identities in contemporary Indonesia. Currently, it is not only as a place of worship for Chinese Islam, but also as a religious tourism destination as well as new media to learn about Islamic Chinese cultures in Indonesia. In addition, Cheng Ho mosque is also beginning to be understood as the “new silk road”, because it assumed that it has an important role in fostering a harmonious relationship between the Indonesian government and China. It can be seen from the establishment of Cheng Ho mosques in a number of regions in Indonesia. In this context, this article describes what the contributions and implications of the Cheng Ho mosque as the new silk road in fostering bilateral relations between Indonesia and China, especially in Islamic cultural identity.