Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Imagine a giant ship, the Nanhai No 1, sailing the sea over 800 years ago during the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). This was a time when China traded with many other countries. The ship was loaded with treasures: beautiful pottery, shiny metalwork, sparkling coins and jars filled with wine.
Sadly, the big ship sank beneath the water, and for many years, nobody knew why.
Centuries later, in 1987, divers made an incredible discovery – they found Nanhai No 1 at the bottom of the sea. Archaeologists were overjoyed. They carefully brought up the ship and much of its precious cargo in 2007.
From the clues they recovered from the ship, the experts finally solved the mystery of how it sank – it was too heavily loaded with goods.
Why this ship is special
“Discovering the Nanhai No 1 shipwreck was a groundbreaking moment,” said Lee Hiu-wai, the assistant curator of the Antiquities and Monuments Office at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. The cultural centre in Tsim Sha Tsui is displaying 255 items from Nanhai No 1 in an exhibition.
“It’s like solving a centuries-old mystery, piecing together clues to understand the ship’s journey, its cargo, and the lives of the people who sailed on it,” Lee said.
Nanhai No 1 is truly special. It’s the most complete ancient ship ever found. By studying the ship and its treasures, we can see the incredible skill of Chinese craftspeople and how important trade was at the time.
Look into the past
Examining these items helps historians understand what daily life and trade were like during that time in China’s history.
“All these gave us a glance of how [things were] blooming in Southern Song dynasty,” Lee said. “The products that China [sold to] ... the outside world shows a high level of handicraft and artistic value. Trade at the time was very prosperous.”
Nanhai No 1 also reminds us that Hong Kong played a vital role in the ancient trade routes that connected China to the world.
“Launch from Greater Bay Area: Nanhai I Shipwreck and the Maritime Silk Road” is on display at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Kowloon Park. It runs until February 12, and entry is free.
“Launch from Greater Bay Area: Nanhai I Shipwreck and the Maritime Silk Road” is on display at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Kowloon Park. It will run until February 12, and admission is free.
Use the puzzle below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.
Suggested answers
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Stop and think: What was so special about finding Nanhai No 1? This is an important discovery because Nanhai No 1 is the most “complete” ancient ship found, meaning that only few pieces were broken apart. This allows archaeologists and historians to learn about trade and skills of Chinese during this time.
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Consider: What was the purpose of Nanhai No 1? This ship was made 800 years ago during the Southern Song Dynasty, and its purpose was to transport goods that would be sold or traded across China.
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Read and answer: Why did Nanhai No 1 end up sinking? Archaeologists determined that Nanhai No 1 sank because it was too heavy. There was too much precious cargo on board.
