China's Marine Silk Road Museum, covering more than 130 square kilometers and with the investment of 160 million RMB, starts its construction today (Dec. 28) in Yangjiang, costal city in west Guangdong.

The museum will complete its construction at the end of next year and will open to the public in 2007. The museum is built for displaying the ancient vessel, the Nanhai No. 1 ship, and the goods found on it, which will be unearthed from the South China Sea next year.

The 25-meter-long Nanhai No.1 sank 20 nautical miles off the hailing island in Song Dynasty, about 800 years ago. Source says that there were several tens of thousands relics on the ancient vessel.

Editor: Donald