15/05/2026
16052025 | A historic moment is about to unfold.
We are deeply honoured to become the first foreign guests officially invited to visit the archaeological conservation station of the Yangtze River Estuary No.2 Ancient Shipwreck.
What makes this visit even more meaningful is the opportunity to engage in discussions with researchers regarding the possible historical connections between the 1830 Desaru Shipwreck and the Yangtze River Estuary No.2 shipwreck.
The Yangtze River Estuary No.2 is regarded as one of China’s most significant underwater archaeological discoveries in recent years.
This Qing Dynasty merchant vessel sank near the mouth of the Yangtze River and has remained remarkably well-preserved. Thousands of artefacts have been recovered, including porcelain, Yixing zisha ware, wooden objects, and daily utensils — providing invaluable physical evidence for the study of late Qing maritime trade and everyday life.
Even more remarkable is that China employed, for the first time, a pioneering “whole-ship salvage” technique — lifting the entire wreck together with its surrounding sediment intact before conducting detailed excavation work within a dedicated archaeological station. This achievement is considered highly significant in the history of global underwater archaeology.
The Desaru Shipwreck also belongs to the important maritime trade network of 19th-century Asia. Whether through shipping routes, export porcelain systems, or the trade relations between China’s southeastern coast and the Nanyang region, there may well be fascinating historical parallels with the Yangtze River Estuary No.2.
From the shipwrecks of the South China Sea to the Yangtze estuary, it feels as though another chapter of China’s maritime civilisation and the Maritime Silk Road is gradually being reopened before our eyes.
