China: Chinese scientists want to awaken a merchant vessel from its 800-year slumber in the silt off Canton, writes Clifford Coonan in Beijing
Stormy waves cut short the voyage of this large Chinese merchant vessel as it left a southern port laden with exquisite porcelain 800 years ago to sell its wares along the ancient trade route known as the Marine Silk Road.
Now Chinese scientists want to awaken the treasure ship from its slumber in the silt 20 nautical miles off the coast of the province of Guangdong, better known in Ireland as Canton.
The treasure on board is difficult to put a value on, though given the prices antique Chinese vases are garnering in the world's auction houses these days, the haul must be worth billions of euro. Initial excavations have revealed beautiful green-glazed porcelain plates, blue porcelain and tin pots, as well as chinaware specially designed for markets in the Middle East. There could be anything up to 70,000 relics on the ship.
Some cultural relics experts in China say the value of the find could be equal to that of Emperor Qinshihuang's terracotta warriors in Xi'an.
Archaeologists reckon the ship dates back to the early Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). At 25m (82ft) long and 10m wide, it is the largest cargo ship from that golden period of Chinese merchant history discovered so far.
The overland Silk Road, which runs from western China to Europe, is probably a better- known trading route.
However, Chinese traders began selling silks, porcelain and tea along the Maritime Silk Road around 2,000 years ago, from southern ports in Guangdong and Fujian to countries in southeast Asia, Arab countries and Europe.
The ship is very well-preserved, lying upright on the seabed with its hull hard and intact.
In what promises to be a complex feat of engineering, the scientists want to use a huge steel basket to lift the vessel out in one piece to better preserve its original looks. The ship is 20m below the waves.
They will then store it in a giant salt-water tank in a purpose-built museum.
Discovered by accident in 1987, the merchant ship was named Nanhai No. 1, which means South China Sea No. 1.
Since its accidental discovery, it's been precisely pinpointed using state-of-the-art global positioning system technology.
"It is unprecedented in the field of underwater archaeology both at home and abroad," said Zhang Wei, director of the Underwater Archaeology Centre at China's National Museum.
The usual procedure would be to dig up the relics and then salvage the vessel, but Mr Zhang said the scientists wanted to move the ship still covered in silt to better preserve the artefacts.
Being buried in two metres of silt has done much to protect the Nanhai No 1, but it has also made excavation very difficult.
The silt made measuring, drawing and photographing the relics almost impossible, but draining the silt could damage the porcelain on board.
A special salvage vessel to raise the vessel is being built and should be finished by May.
The Guangdong provincial government has budgeted 150 million yuan, around €15 million, to build a museum, which is due to open to the public in 2007.
The vast museum will be spread over 130,000sq m and pride of place will be the "crystal palace" - a glass-walled exhibition hall, filled with sea water to house Nanhai No 1 in a similar undersea environment to the one where it has lain for eight centuries.