Beijing: A Chinese archaeological team has embarked on a journey to excavate a shipwreck near Shanhu Island in the Xisha archipelago in the disputed South China Sea.
The 25-member strong team left Qinglan Port, Wenchang City, Hainan Province, yesterday for its 45-day research mission, provincial cultural heritage administration was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
This is the second notable landmark underwater archaeological excavation in the South China Sea following the Huaguang reef number one shipwreck in 2008 in the Xisha Islands where a vessel loaded with porcelain sank more than 700 years ago.
Xisha islands the Chinese name for Paracel islands is also claimed by Vietnam.
China's claim over most of the South China Sea is contested by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
The team will also carry out an underwater survey on another sunken ship around Jinyin Island in Xisha, the spokesman said.
The sites contain a substantial amount of stone building material and carvings dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The Shanhu Island site, which is 2,000 meters from the island itself, covers about 20,000 square meters, with the water depth ranging from two to seven meters.
Another site, which is 2,500 meters from Jinyin Island, covers about 45,000 square meters, at a depth ranging from three to nine meters.
As of last year, China had discovered more than 120 shipwrecks around Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha islands, the report said.
