With work on Shanghai's National Maritime Museum proceeding
apace, one crucial question has emerged: What will go in its
display cases?
To help answer this question, the authorities behind the project
are appealing to the public to donate artifacts related to the
country's sea-faring past.
The museum is set to open in September 2009. The site is located
in the city's Luchaogang Port area, adjacent to the world's longest
cross-sea bridge, the Donghai Bridge, which connects Yangshan
Deepwater Port to Shanghai mainland. The museum is part of the
city's plan to build itself into an international shipping
center.
The National Maritime Museum will trace the development of the
country's maritime history using relics, replicas, photographs and
multimedia presentations. Its collection will include ancient
compasses and replicas of the ships the 15th century mariner Zheng
He used on his voyages to Southeast Asia and Africa.
However, officials from the Shanghai port administration bureau,
which is in charge of the project, said recently they were having
trouble finding enough exhibits to fill the space and appealed for
donations from both home and abroad.
"We are looking for valuable items that record the changing of
the country's maritime development," Xu Peixing, an official in
charge of the preparation work for the museum, was quoted as saying
by Xinhua News Agency.
"We will consider buying, copying or renting particularly
valuable items, and we will honor those who donate or would like to
have their collections displayed in our museum."
The country's maritime history dates back thousands of years,
and Shanghai was the first city in the country to develop a modern
shipping industry. It is already a world-class international
shipping hub.
The 500 million yuan ($64.7 million) project is set to be
completed next year.
The museum will be divided into five halls and 12 zones. A
theater is also in the plan.
(China Daily April 13, 2007)