Treasure island with a twist

Ancient Chinese ship's lost booties sparkle among Maldives' tourism trove, and the bounties of this archipelago look likely to swell with the Maritime Silk Road's revival, Matt Hodges discovers.

Ancient relics plundered from Chinese vessels are turning up in the strangest of places, as luxury resorts literally dig deep into virgin territory in the Maldives, where Chinese tourists now make up one-third of the market.

The Maldives lies along ancient Maritime Silk Road trading routes from Southeast China to East Africa and the Persian Gulf that date back 2,000 years. President Xi Jinping called for a revival of these shipping links to forge closer regional ties during a visit to the Maldives last year.