The replica of the 18th century Swedish merchant ship
"Gotheborg" arrived in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on
Tuesday after a nine and a half month voyage.
Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, who arrived in
China on Monday on a six-day state visit, made a symbolic exit from
Gotheborg III's cabin, to the applause of thousands of local
officials and residents.
The ship will stay in Guangzhou for a month, when China and
Sweden will launch various activities to promote bilateral ties in
culture, tourism, economy and trade, said Li Wenyao, head of
Guangzhou Tourism Bureau.
Local government will also hold several exhibitions on Swedish
coffee, tea culture, sailing. and pictures featuring Guangzhou
culture on a 24,000-square-meter expo garden named after the
Gotheborg.
The legendary 18th century Swedish merchant ship "Gotheborg"
made three voyages from Gothenburg to Guangzhou between 1743 and
1745, pioneering trade between Sweden and China.
On its last return trip to Sweden in 1745, tragedy struck when it
smashed into rocks about 900 meters from its destination after a
30-month voyage to China. It sunk with its entire cargo outside the
port of Gothenburg.
The wreckage of the ship was recovered in 1984 and excavation
was conducted from 1986 to 1992. The discovery led to the idea of
rebuilding a replica of the ship by using the same traditional
techniques and materials and sailing it to China again.
Gotheborg III, 58.8 meters long and 11 meters wide, costs 30
million U.S. dollars and ten-years efforts of over 4,000 ship
builders.
The ship, which left Swedish city of Gothenburg for China in
October last year, carries 80 crew members and some of the silk,
porcelain, tea leaves and spices that went down with the original
ship.
(Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2006)
