Recently, as is learnt from the follow-up inspection of the key proposals of the first session of the 12th CPPCC Municipal Committee and the "Members' Lecture Hall" activity that the excavation and protection of an ancient sunken ship of the Yuan Dynasty in the Chaotang River are progressing steadily.

In the morning of June 5, 2014, a wooden sunken ship was found during the construction of the Chaotang River Waterlogging Drainage and Dredging Project, a key project in Cixi City, and the ship was identified as an ancient sunken ship of the Yuan Dynasty. After the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Relics, scheme design and many other early processes, the wreck protection project was finally determined to be undertaken by the Archaeological Research Center of the State Administration of Cultural Relics. The construction of the protection site started at the beginning of this year, and it is planned to carry out protection treatment and restoration installation for about 5 years.

At present, a series of preliminary preparations have been carried out for the construction of protective sheds and the installation of water purification circulating devices, including the number of excavated ship materials, 3D scanning and digital collection, overall packaging and relocation, preparation of protection schemes, etc.. For the next step, a series of protection and repair projects will be carried out successively, including disease assessment, cleaning and desalination, decolorization, dehydration, sizing and reinforcement, whole process anti-corrosion and mildew prevention treatment, regular monitoring and analysis to assess the protection effect, hull restoration and so on. The protective restoration project is expected to be completed in 2026.

The sunken ship of the Yuan Dynasty in the Chaotang River is the first ancient sunken ship discovered in Cixi and scientifically excavated so far. It is one of the most completely preserved early wooden ships found in China at present. It provides valuable materials for Cixi's history of reclaiming land from the sea, changes in the shoreline of the Hangzhou Bay, and ancient culture and economic and trade exchanges in Ningbo. A relevant responsible person said that it is the important work of Cixi to polish the cultural card for the next step by making preparations for the construction of the Chaotang River Ancient Ship Museum, systematic displaying the ancient sunken ship and its affiliated unearthed cultural relics, the panoramic display of Cixi's long history and cultural traditions of immigration, reclamation, commerce and trade, as well as the indomitable spirit of the people of Cixi against natural disasters in various periods.