[Above: The vision of Blessed Guala, by Cosimo Gamberucci, from the Great Cloister of Santa Maria Novella, the principal Dominican church of Florence, ca. 1580]
History is replete with what-if's. For example, what if Koxinga had lived long enough and conquered Manila? What would the history of SE Asia be?
According to 臺灣通史[The Comprehensive History of Taiwan] by the great historian Lien-Heng [連橫 (1878-1936)]:
"初，羅馬神父李科羅在廈傳教，成功禮之，延為幕客。當是時，華人之在呂宋者數十萬人，久遭西人苛待。諸將議取呂宋為外府。成功使李科羅至馬尼拉，說呂宋總督入貢，而陰檄華僑起事，將以舟師援之。事洩，西人戒嚴，集兵馬尼拉，毀城裂砦，以防竊踞。而華人已起矣，鏖戰數日夜，終不敵，死者數萬人。或駕小舟至臺灣，多溺死。成功撫之，而呂宋仍俶擾，又慮鄭師往討，乃命使者隨李科羅乞和。諸將欲問罪，未出師，而成功病革矣。"
"At first, Roman Catholic priest 李科羅 (Victorio Rici, or in Spanish: Victorio Riccio, 1621-1685) was preaching in Amoy. Koxinga treated him with respect and invited him to be a consul. At that time, there were several hundred thousand Chinese residing in Luzon who had long been mis-treated by the Spaniards [Note: especially under the ruthless administration of Governor General Diego Fajardo Chacón, from 1644 to 1653)]. Koxinga's generals proposed that Luzon be annexed. Koxinga therefore sent Rici to Manila to demand the Spanish Governor General to pay tributes but also secretly to plot a revolt by the Chinese - to be supported by warships and soldiers from Taiwan. The plan was exposed, however, and the Spaniards heightened their defense and dispatched soldiers [Note: from Mindanao Island] to destroy Manila to avoid capture/occupation. By then, the Chinese were in uprising who fought in pitched battles for several days but failed in the end. Tens of thousands were killed. Some escaped on little boats and sailed to Taiwan with many drowned on the way. Koxinga seized the opportunity to pacify the Spaniards when Luzon was still in turmoil. The Spaniards were also worried that Koxinga might attack, so an emissary traveled with Rici to Taiwan to sue for peace. Koxinga's general staff preferred punitive actions; however, before the invasion could be carried out, Koxinga passed away [Note: on July 23, 1662]." The key player in this drama, 李科羅 Victorio Rici was a member of 利瑪竇's extended family [Note: 利瑪竇 (Italian name: Matteo Ricci, 1552-1610), a Jesuit from Italy who travel to China to preach in 1583 and stayed for life)]. Fr Rici was born in S. Maria a Cintoia of Florence and had studied in Fiesole and Rome. In 1654, he went from Manila to Amoy to build a Dominican Church and administer to Koxinga's soldiers.
In 1662, Fr Victorio Riccio was appointed the ambassador to Manila and on May 5th, he practically handed an invitation to surrender from Koxinga to the Spanish Governor General demanding for the submission of the Spanish Colony. The document reads as follows:
「大明總統使國姓爺寄馬尼拉總督曼利克。特。喇喇之宣諭：
A directive from Koxinga of the Great Ming to Governor General Manrique de Lara of Manila:承天命而立之君，萬邦咸宜效順朝貢，此古今不易之理也。可惡荷夷不知天則，竟敢虐我百姓，劫奪商船形同盜賊，本當早勒水師討伐。然仰體天朝柔遠之仁，故屢寄諭示期彼悔罪退過，而彼等遇頑成性，執迷不悟，邀予震怒，遂於辛丑四月率水師親討，兵抵台灣捕殺不計其數，荷夷奔逃無路脫衣乞降，頃刻之間，城池庫藏盡歸我有，倘彼等早知負罪屈服，豈有如此之禍哉。
...I (Koxinga) have now driven the Dutch out of Taiwan. Numerous Dutchmen were killed for unwise resistance. If they had capitulated sooner, they would not have suffered such a disastrous fate..., 你小國與荷夷無別，凌迫我商船，開爭亂之基。予今平定台灣，擁精兵數十萬，戰艦千艘，原擬率師親伐。況自台至你國，水路近捷，朝發夕至；惟念你等邇來稍有悔意，遣使前來乞商貿易條款，是則較之荷夷已不可等視，決意姑赦爾等之罪，暫留師台灣，先遣神甫奉致宣諭。倘爾及早醒悟，年俯首來朝納貢，則交由神甫履命，予當示恩於爾，赦你舊罰，保你王位威嚴，並命我商民至爾邦貿易；倘或你仍一味狡詐，則我艦立至，凡你城池庫藏與金寶立焚無遺，彼時悔莫及矣。荷夷可為前車之鑑，而此時神甫亦無庸返台，福禍利害惟擇其一，幸望慎思速決，毋遲延而後悔，此諭。
...You (the Spaniards) are no different from the Dutch, from another tiny state. In Taiwan, I have in my command several hundred thousand soldiers and one thousand warships. I was about to invade Manila; however, in view of your emissary arriving to beg for trade treaties, a behavior different from the Dutch, I am therefore empowering Father Rici to ask that you submit to my rule and pay yearly tributes. If there is any trickery on your part, my ships will quickly arrive and destroy you totally, just like what I have done to the Dutch. By then it'll be too late. The choice is yours... 永曆十六年三月七日
(Dated and signed by) 國姓爺
[Koxinga]」
The Spanish Governor General of the Philippines Islands was Sabiniano Manrique de Lara who succeeded the despotic Diego Fajardo Chacón and ruled between July 25, 1653 and Sept 8, 1663.
This was a story with no ending. Fr Victorio Rici spent the rest of his natural days in the Chinese District in Manila and died there peacefully.
The original name of this temple is 鄭成功祖廟Koxinga's Ancestral Shrine (see the plaque under the eaves in the structure below). It was built by Koxinga's son 鄭經Cheng Jing in 1663. In other words, it only accommodates the Koxinga branch of the Cheng Family. There are no other temples honoring Koxinga's brothers.
At the altar, a wooden statue of Koxinga can be seen:
In the front garden area, a statue of Koxinga and his mother Lady Weng was recently erected. It is a copy of the original located in Koxinga's birthplace in Hirado, Nagasaki. In the inner courtyard, a bamboo tree planted by Koxinga's principal wife Lady Tung has survived to this day:
his temple is now extended to include all Cheng's regardless of their ancestral link - whether it was with Koxinga or his father Cheng Zhi-lung or even no links at all, hence the 鄭氏家廟 designation. A world congress will be held on Nov 6, 2011. All Cheng's are welcome!
