[Photo via the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing]

From December 16 2025 to March 15 2026, an exhibition titled "Voyage to the Deep: Deep-Sea Archaeological Exhibition in the Northwest Continental Slope of the South China Sea" will be held in Halls 1 and 2 of the main building of the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing.

The artifacts featured in this exhibition were recovered from two Ming-Dynasty shipwrecks that were 1,500 meters deep, located between the Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands. The discovered items are primarily porcelain, including blue-and-white porcelain, fahua ware, susancai, porcelain with single-color glaze, and red-and-green porcelain, all representative porcelain types from the mid-Ming period. Visitors can gain a vivid picture of the refined artistry of the Ming-Dynasty porcelain and the prosperity of maritime trade at that time through these exhibits.

This exhibition not only showcases a unique display of export porcelain back then but also a compelling presentation of China's achievements in deep-sea archaeology. The No. 1 and No. 2 shipwreck sites on the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea, selected as part of the "Top 10 National Archaeological Discoveries of 2023", mark China's status as one of the globally leading countries in deep-sea archaeological exploration.

(Source: Beijing Municipal Administrative Center News)