50th Anniversary of the Unearth of -Quanzhou Bay Song Dynasty Ship– Showing the Charm of Chinese Ships

In an interview on October 25th, Liu Linshuang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Quanzhou Municipal Party Committee and the Minister of the Publicity Department, reflected on a remarkable moment in history. “In 1974, archaeologists uncovered a Song Dynasty ship that had lain dormant in the Quanzhou Bay for over 700 years, stunning the world,” he remarked. He emphasized that fifty years later, the “Song Dynasty ship from Quanzhou Bay” has evolved into a bridge connecting China and the world, conveying messages of peace, friendship, and progress.

On that day, the city launched a series of cultural exchange activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ship’s discovery, including the grand opening of the exhibition “Guardianship Over Half a Century—The 50th Anniversary of the Quanzhou Bay Song Ship.” This event showcases the unique charm of Chinese maritime culture and the profound heritage of marine civilization.

Located within the Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, the Quanzhou Bay Ancient Ship Museum primarily displays the Song Dynasty ship excavated from the Houzhu Port in 1974, along with its accompanying artifacts. As the only ancient wooden sailing ship returned from overseas and unearthed so far in China, the “Song Dynasty ship from Quanzhou Bay” provides invaluable physical evidence for the study of Chinese maritime trade, cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, and the history of shipbuilding in China.

Over the past fifty years, the “Song Dynasty ship from Quanzhou Bay” has significantly advanced domestic and international exhibitions, academic exchanges, cultural heritage preservation, and science education, enhancing Quanzhou’s reputation as a World Heritage city and drawing global attention.

During the event, the Quanzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, and Tourism signed a cooperation agreement with Peking University’s Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage. This partnership aims to showcase and elaborate on the historical significance and precious value of Quanzhou’s ancient architecture. Additionally, the Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government and the China-foreign Cultural Exchange Center entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement to bolster Quanzhou’s development as a world-renowned tourist destination and enhance its international outreach.

The Quanzhou Overseas Transportation History Museum has also partnered with the National Cultural Heritage Administration’s key research base for traditional Chinese medicine and Beijing Forestry University to establish the “Foreign Medicinal Herb Cultural Relics Research Center” and the “Wooden Cultural Relics Monitoring and Protection Research Base,” marking a new chapter in cultural heritage protection and research. Huang Wuzui, a witness to the ship’s excavation, along with his son Huang Dongwei, donated a handmade model of the “Song Dynasty ship from Quanzhou Bay” to the museum.

The father-son duo hails from a traditional shipbuilding family in Quanzhou. Huang Dongwei shared that the discovery of the Song Dynasty ship had a profound impact on his father. To commemorate this significant occasion, they created the ship model themed around the “Song Dynasty ship from Quanzhou Bay,” which reflects ancient Fuzhou shipbuilding techniques, including watertight compartments, fish-scale overlapping, and multiple planks, that are at risk of being lost. Their goal is to pass down and promote these ancient shipbuilding skills while highlighting maritime history and culture.

Furthermore, an academic seminar titled “Sunken Ships and Ports,” along with a commemorative conference for the 50th anniversary of the “Song Dynasty ship from Quanzhou Bay,” will be held on October 26th. This gathering will bring together experts and scholars from both domestic and international circles to engage in in-depth discussions on topics such as ancient shipwrecks, port development, shipwreck preservation, and the origins of shipbuilding technology, collectively seeking new pathways for cultural heritage protection.