Documentary released on Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 Ancient Vessel

Caption: The documentary is the first of its kind in China to fully record the discovery, salvage, protection, and archaeological background of the Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 Ancient Vessel.

The much anticipated documentary "Yangtze River Estuary II" has recently been released on Dragon TV and BesTV.

The two-episode documentary is the first of its kind in the country to fully record the discovery, salvage, protection, and archeological background of the Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 Ancient Vessel, a wooden trading boat built around 1862-1875 during the reign of Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

In 2015, the sunken vessel was detected during an underwater archaeological investigation near Hengsha Island in the city's Chongming District. Many priceless cultural relics and archeological treasures were found in its cabins, such as blue and white porcelain ware from Jingdezhen, purple clay objects, and hookah pots made in Vietnam.

The documentary was co-produced by Shanghai Media Group's Documentary Center and BesTV and also received funding from the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation.

Caption: The sunken vessel was detected in 2015 and a salvage and protection project was officially launched in March 2022.

Caption: The salvage overcame challenges of fast water flow, abundant sediment, and poor visibility, as well as consideration of factors such as tides and typhoons.

Caption: It was an eye-catching underwater archaeological and cultural relic protection project.

It took the crew one-and-a-half years to follow the core archaeology and salvage crew to film valuable sequences on-site. Through a complete record of the discovery, salvage, protection, and archaeology of the ancient vessel, the documentary traces the history of Yangtze River navigation during the late Qing Dynasty, Shanghai's port development, and the history of traditional Chinese shipbuilding.

It also answers former questions about the largest and relatively best-preserved ancient wooden sunken ship discovered in China and even the world.

At the same time, the documentary comprehensively showcases leading technologies used in the salvage and archaeological research process and tells stories of vivid characters in technological breakthroughs, academic exploration, and cultural inheritance.

Caption: The vessel was successfully salvaged as a whole.

Caption: The film crew followed the core team of archaeology and salvage experts for a year and a half.

Caption: A crew member films on-site.

The underwater archaeological project is a complex process that integrates multiple disciplines and professions, involving shipbuilding, science and technology, port history, maritime communication, ceramics, economics, and engineering.

The documentary crew visited and interviewed almost 30 scholars in various fields and professions and combed academic data to form more than 110 special research reports. The script was revised more than 30 times.

The overall salvage and protection project of the Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 Ancient Vessel was officially launched in March 2022. It is the world's largest underwater archaeological and cultural relic protection project.

The vessel was salvaged as a whole. This was due to the special geographical conditions at the confluence of the Yangtze River estuary and the coastline, but also drew on the former successful experience of the overall salvage of the Nanhai (South China Sea) No.1 sunken vessel.

Caption: The documentary also records the cultural relics found on the vessel.

Caption: Shanghai native actor and anchor Lin Dongfu is the documentary's narrator.

Caption: A children's half-day archaeological camp was recorded as part of the documentary.

The salvage work overcame challenges of fast water flow, abundant sediment, and poor visibility, while also considering factors such as tides and typhoons. The city of Shanghai specially designed and built the "Dali" and "Fenli" professional underwater archaeological ships for this salvage.

The documentary also extends the storyline to the protection and archaeological process of the ancient vessel after it migrated into the shipyard. In the future, an ancient ship museum will be built on the Yangpu Riverside and open to the public. It is part of an effort by the city to "bring cultural relics to life."

The documentary invited Shanghai native actor and anchor Lin Dongfu to be its the narrator. Lin slowly tells the story of the vessel in the voice of an old Shanghai citizen.

At 10pm on March 5, the documentary's second episode will be broadcast on Dragon TV and BesTV.