After months of being lost, an ancient ship in Hoi An suddenly surfaced intact after storm No. 13.

The wooden ship appeared in the same position it emerged in late 2023 - Photo: LE QUOC VIET

On the morning of November 8, many people in Hoi An went to Tan Thanh beach (Hoi An Tay ward, Da Nang city; formerly Cam An ward, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province) to witness a clearer image of a wooden ship suspected to be an ancient ship reappearing on the beach.

Compared with what was recorded before, the shape and size of this ship emerging on the sandbank is clearer.

Ancient ships reappeared in Hoi An sea

Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center and functional forces have also received information to protect the scene and verify.

Earlier in the morning of December 26, 2023, many people in Hoi An went to the beach and were surprised to discover the frame of a wooden ship that looked like an ancient ship gradually rising from the sand.

The location where the ship was discovered is close to the shore with the mainland, about 400m from the People's Committee of Cam An Ward (old) towards An Bang beach. The wooden frame surrounding the body of the ship is raised above the sand, forming a shape around the body of the ship.

After recording the incident, government agencies and professional agencies actively participated in protecting the scene and verifying.

Many people came to observe the shape of the ship - Photo: LE QUOC VIET

In 2024, the Hoi An World Heritage Conservation Center reported the results of research on the ship conducted by this unit in collaboration with experts from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University).

The report said the sunken wooden ship was large in size and had a strong structure, combining Southeast Asian and Chinese shipbuilding traditions .

The ship was made of Lagerstroemia and Euphorbia wood from Southeast Asia and Chinese pine, and was sealed with a sealant to prevent seawater intrusion.

Waiting for excavation to clarify the origin of the ancient ship

According to scientists, the structural features of the ancient ship allowed it to make long voyages such as commercial activities at sea or even naval battles.

Scientists also determined that the ship was likely over 17.8m long with about 12 compartments.

Regarding the ship's age, although there are no absolute dating results yet, the data shows that it is highly likely that the ship dates from the late 14th to the 16th century.

Notably, scientists believe it could be an ancient ship treasure because it was discovered in an almost intact state.

Image of a wooden boat appearing at Hoi An beach on the morning of November 8 - Photo: LE QUOC VIET

"Thanks to the luck of history, the wooden ship still retains its structure quite intact, while many traditional ships discovered in the East Sea, Southeast Asia and in China do not have this luck.

The existence of the shipwreck is not only a testament to the vibrant maritime history before contact with Western maritime navigation, but also an extremely rare "treasure" of an ancient ship that is still the most intactly preserved in Vietnam, Southeast Asia and East Asia," the investigation report stated.

After this report, the professional agency proposed solutions to protect the site and planned excavation to continue research.

However, while work was underway, sand buried the location of the ship, causing everything to be lost for about half a year.