Ancient ship washed ashore in Hoi An (Da Nang) after storm No. 13

On November 8, many people walking along Tan Thanh beach, Hoi An Tay ward, Da Nang city were surprised to see a hundreds-year-old wooden ship appear on the beach.

Image of a ship emerging at Hoi An beach on the morning of November 8. Photo: baodanang.vn

Upon receiving the information, the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center and functional forces arrived to protect the scene and verify the origin of the ship.

According to locals, this ship was first discovered in 2023. After the recent storm No. 13, the sand layer covering the beach was significantly washed away. When the water receded, the ship appeared with its clearest shape ever. 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 emerged from the sand, forming a shape around the body of the ship.

In 2024, the Hoi An World Heritage Conservation Center coordinated with experts from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City) to research the sunken ship. The report results showed that the sunken wooden ship was large in size, had a strong structure, and combined Southeast Asian and Chinese shipbuilding traditions.

The ship was made from Lagerstroemia and Euryale wood from Southeast Asia and pine from China; using a sealant to prevent the penetration of seawater. These important features allowed the ship to make long voyages such as commercial activities at sea or even naval battles. Scientists believe that the shipwreck is likely to be more than 17.8m long, with about 12 compartments. Although there is no absolute dating result yet, the data shows that the shipwreck is likely to date from the late 14th to the 16th century.

Notably, scientists believe that the shipwreck in Hoi An could be an ancient treasure because it was discovered in a nearly intact state. 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 ancient ship "treasure" that is still the most intact in Vietnam, Southeast Asia and East Asia," the report stated.

After this report, the specialized agency proposed a solution to protect the site and plan an excavation to continue the research. However, while the work was being promoted, sand buried the location of the ship, causing everything to be lost for about half a year.

Previously, the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation Center proposed a detailed plan and solution for the excavation and conservation of the ship and the collected artifacts to ensure their integrity.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/tau-co-dat-vao-bo-bien-hoi-an-da-nang-sau-bao-so-13-20251108173613554.htm