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Recreation of the ancient wooden boat dating from the Qing Dynasty (17th to 20th centuries), refloated in Shanghai on November 21, 2022.

China refloats an ancient wooden ship of more than 150 years from the Qing dynasty

An ancient wooden ship dating from the Qing dynasty (17th to 20th centuries), considered one of the largest and best-preserved shipwrecks discovered to date under Chinese waters, was refloated on Monday off the coast of the Shanghai megalopolis (east ).

The ship, which will offer a new vision of the naval technology used during the time, sailed during the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor (1862-1875) and sank in the Yangtze River estuary.

The ship, discovered in 2015 during an underwater survey, measures about 38.1 meters in length by 9.9 meters in width and consists of 31 compartments in which cultural relics have been found, the state news agency Xinhua reported.

The archaeologists believe that their study could contribute to the analysis of ceramics and the economic history of the Qing dynasty, as porcelain made in the city of Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province (center), is found in the wreck, which China considers the "porcelain capital."

A #shipwreck that has been underwater for more than 150 years was successfully lifted from the riverbed early Monday morning in #Shanghai. The merchant ship, dubbed as No. 2 on the Yangtze River Mouth, dates back to the reign of Emperor Tongzhi (1862-1875) in the Qing Dynasty. pic.twitter.com/ZH2H4aloWv

— Beijing Daily (@DailyBeijing) November 21, 2022

The rescue operation, broadcast in its final moments live on state-run CCTV, used underwater imaging for muddy water and protective tunneling technology.

According to local authorities, the wreck will soon be transferred to a dock near the Huangpu River for further preservation and archaeological research.

China has devoted many resources in recent years to recovering shipwrecks in its seas, especially in the disputed South China Sea, which, as a transit point on the ancient Maritime Silk Road, hides a wealth of historical treasures beneath its waters.

One of the most famous to date is the Nanhai 1, the wreck of a merchant ship that sank during the Song dynasty (960-1279) and from which in 2007 more than 180,000 fragments and pieces of porcelain were recovered along with 181 objects and gold ornaments.

Cui Yong, who led the team that investigated Nanhai 1, said the new findings at a depth of 3,000 meters that it is a milestone that places China "on the same level as other advanced countries in the field of underwater archaeology."