Malacca became China’s first settlement outside the confines of the empire, thanks in large part to Zheng He’s expeditions there. Many Malaysians have Chinese ancestry, and the Peranakan, as they are called have adopted the area’s traditions — none more bizarre than the celebration of the Hindu festival called Datak Chachar. To give thanks to the gods for answered prayers, celebrants parade through the town with spikes and hooks piercing their skin. Malacca, Malaysia