EVENTS
Event Highlights
MSRS Jointly Organized “Classic Chinese Maritime Journeys”
2026-03-30
On 30 March, the International (GBA) Mangrove Conservation Association, Hong Kong Public Archaeological Society, Maritime Silk Road Society, Hong Kong Mencius Institute and Hong Kong Students' Union jointly organized a day tour “Classic Chinese Maritime Journeys” to visit the South Sea God Temple (also known as Nanhai God Temple) and Guangzhou Maritime Museum with an aim to enhance public understanding of China’s maritime history and raise awareness of the country's maritime strategy.
The event was co-ordinated and conducted by Dr Peter Wong, Secretary of the Hong Kong Public Archaeological Society. The event day happened to take place on the 12th day of the second lunar month, which was in the middle of the three-day “Boluo Temple Fair”. Everyone in the tour was very happy to participate in this ancient temple fair in the Lingnan region and personally experience the festive atmosphere to commemorate its grand occasion.
The South Sea God Temple (also known as the Boluo Temple) located in Huangpu District, is a large-scale temple covering approximately 30,000 square metres. Built in the 14th year of the Kaihuang reign of the Sui Dynasty (594 AD), the temple is the largest and best preserved among the four sea god temples in China. It is also the starting point and an important witness to the Maritime Silk Road, and its main deity is Hong Sheng, the god of the South Sea. The temple complex is predominantly decorated in Ming and Qing style, earning it the reputation of “Southern Stele Forest.” A grand “Boluo Birthday” temple fair is held annually in the second month of the lunar calendar, featuring unique handicrafts such as “Boluo Chicken”.
The group then visited the Guangzhou Maritime Museum which was established in 2021 and is currently the only museum in the province with a “maritime” theme. The museum aims to showcase Guangzhou's glorious achievements in the history of the Maritime Silk Road and to recreate the style of the “Millennial Commercial Capital”. It is also an important measure to support Guangzhou in implementing the “Belt and Road” initiative and building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
Led by museum docents, participants were able to see the museum’s collection of artifacts recovered from the sea, mainly Xicun Kiln porcelain. These included the only brown-painted porcelain plate in China with the inscription "Zhihe First Year," as well as the epitaph of Fang Shenyan, the Song Dynasty’s Maritime Trade Commissioner, a Southern Song Dynasty anchor stone, and precious incense and medicinal herbs recovered from the South China Sea. These artifacts showcased valuable information about the history of Guangzhou port trade and the Maritime Silk Road during the Tang and Song Dynasties.
