The original ship, the East Indiaman Gotheborg, sailed into Huangpu harbor in Guangzhou nearly 250 years ago. The replica vessel will visit the city next year when it opens to the public. (Photo by Fan Zhoubo with South China Metropolitan Newspaper)

Five Guangzhou residents would be recruited to crew a replica of a century-old Swedish ship, a visiting Swedish delegation announced in Guangzhou last week.

The original ship, the East Indiaman Gotheborg, sailed into Huangpu harbor in Guangzhou 250 years ago. The replica vessel will visit the city next year when it opens to the public.

The Swedish delegation is recruiting a total of 50 sailors from all over the world for the voyage. It will recruit five sailors in Guangzhou when it reaches the city in July next year.

The 50 crew will work as temporary sailors on voyages to Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

A spokesman for the delegation said they preferred to recruit strong young men because of the heavy physical work involved.

The delegation is also looking for 22 professional sailors for nine-month contracts.

The spokesman said the king and queen of Sweden would fly to Guangzhou to meet the ship in Guangzhou next year.

He said the city of Gotheborg wanted to establish friendship harbor status with Guangzhou harbor.

After visiting Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong, the delegation will visit Cadiz in Spain, Recife in Brazil, Cape Town in South Africa, Fremantle in Australia and Jakarta in Indonesia.

The replica Gotheborg will follow the 18th-century route of the original East Indiaman.

Editor: Catherine