Excavation of famed Zhiyuan begins

Archaeologists began the first round of excavation on Sunday of a much-sought sunken warship that was confirmed late last month to be the Zhiyuan, a famous vessel of the Beiyang Fleet that sank on Sept 17, 1894 during the Sino-Japanese War.

The excavation work is being conducted 59 kilometers south of the mouth of the Yalu River near Dandong, Liaoning province.

More than 100 historical relics have been salvaged so far from the wreckage. They are classified in three categories: ship-borne weapons, ship parts and daily-life necessities of the sailors.