The city of Nanjing celebrated the 15th annual edition of the China National Maritime Day on Wednesday in celebration of the 614th anniversary of the ocean voyages of Zheng He.
Ming Dynasty sword array performance and the maritime silk road culture poetry recitation were among the highlights of the event held in Zheng He Cultural Park at the foot of the Niushou Mountain in southern Nanjing.
In March 2016, Nanjing became one of the Chinese cities to bid for world heritage status for the Maritime Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road heritage sites in Nanjing include the ruins of the Longjiang treasure boat shipyard, the tomb of the King of Boni, a medieval state on the island of Borneo, usually considered the predecessor of the present-day Brunei, the tomb of Hong Bao, deputy commander of the Zheng He fleet, and the tomb of Zheng He.
Over the past three years, authorities in Nanjing have repaired the heritage sites and continued the research on the unearthed artifacts.
China National Maritime Day is observed on July 11 every year since 2005. That year marked the 600th anniversary of the ocean voyages of Zheng He, a famous navigator during the Ming Dynasty, who went on seven voyages to exhibit China's might to the world and help establish the ancient maritime Silk Road.
