About 400 cultural relics from two Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) shipwrecks are on display at the Grand Canal Museum in Beijing for the first time.
Loaned from South China Sea Museum in south China's Hainan Province, the 370 pieces are from shipwrecks on the northwest slope of the South China Sea. The first ship's artifacts are mainly ceramics, while the second's include logs, snail shells and antlers.
Xin Lixue, director of the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea, said this is the first time these cultural relics have been displayed outside the South China Sea Museum.
"I'm also very excited that these cultural relics can be displayed in the capital, Beijing. I think this is to present to everyone the best things we have salvaged so far, so they can fully understand the splendid culture of our ancient Maritime Silk Road. Today's people can also expand international exchanges and jointly promote the development of all our ethnic groups," said Xin.
Dating back approximately 500 years, these merchant ships sank to a depth of about 1,500 meters during a voyage along the Maritime Silk Road. This marks the first discovery of merchant vessels from the early sixteenth century that had set sail and were returning.
In addition to the abundant relics, the exhibition uses dynamic lighting and sound to recreate a virtual underwater world, showcasing the deep-sea environment and the advanced technology behind deep-sea archaeology.
The exhibition will run through March 15 next year.
Deep-sea archaeological exhibition in Beijing displays relics recovered from shipwreck
