Picture of future China Marine Silk Road Museum. [photo:
cnsgd.com] |
Guangdong has decided to
invest in studying and developing its rich ancient cultural, oceanic and
historical resources to showcase its glorious past and promote the tourism
industry, according to Jing Lihu, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial
Bureau of Culture.
The construction of a large museum designed to display more than 300,000
historical relics began in this coastal city on December 6.
The China Marine Silk Road Museum, which is scheduled to be completed and
opened to the public before the end of 2007, will mainly collect and exhibit
ancient vessels and their contents, to be salvaged from the South China Sea.
Guangdong has been a commercial and trading hub in South China since ancient
times.
The museum is the largest cultural project to be built in the province, with
an investment of more than 190 million yuan (US$23 million), Jing said.
Set on the beach of Yangjiang's Hailing Island, some 200 kilometres from
Guangzhou, the museum covers an area of more than 130,000 square metres and will
be the largest theme museum of its kind in Asia.
The most exciting part of the museum will be a huge crystal case, especially
for the Nanhai No 1 vessel, which is scheduled to be brought up from the sea bed
by 2007.
The vessel sank about 1,000 years ago, 20 metres below the surface of the
waters, 20 nautical miles away from Hailing Island.
A study centre of the China Marine Silk Road will be also set up in the
museum, looking at social and economic development in the southern Chinese
region in ancient dynasties.
The museum also includes a water stage for performances related to topics of
the ancient China Marine Silk Road.
Yangjiang is expected to become a new tourist attraction in the southern
Chinese region, according to Zheng Youjian, vice-mayor of Yangjiang. The city is
now known for its kitchen knives and scissors.
A diving club, a sailing club, a pedestrian shopping street and other
facilities will also be built near the museum to help attract and entertain
tourists from around the world.