RIDING THE WAVES

With ships fully adorned with brightly colored signal flags, Shanghai Port was in festive atmosphere on July 11. At 9 a.m. sharp, all Chinese vessels whistled in unison for one minute, to usher in the Maritime Day.

At the same time, 17 sailboats cruised along the Huangpu River in Shanghai, also part of the activities to mark the special day, the 17th in the country.

The event was established in 2005 in commemoration of the 600th anniversary of renowned ancient Chinese navigator Zheng He’s voyages to Southeast Asia and East Africa in the 15th century, which charted the routes of the ancient maritime silk road.

This year, various activities took place across the country, including a maritime forum held in Zheng’s hometown Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. At the virtual opening ceremony, Zhao Chongjiu, Vice Minister of Transport,