00:28Transcribed by ESO, translated by —
00:42Wind could carry wooden sailing ships across the seas. An ally of sorts. However, it also
00:48had the power to destroy them. While the salvage team waited out this particular storm, breakthroughs
00:55were still being made on land. To determine what caused the ancient ship to sink, a research
01:07team from East China Normal University was commissioned to study the sedimentary environment
01:12of the site. After obtaining sediment cores more than 13 meters long from the wreck area,
01:18they conducted multiple analyses, including those of sedimentary structure, grain size,
01:25stable carbon isotopes, and optically stimulated luminescence dating.
01:51Today, the Yangtze River Estuary has a dual channel system. The North Channel was not fully
01:58navigable 150 years ago. Ships could only enter the sea via the main South Channel. What
02:04caused the ancient Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 ship to sink in the shallow waters of the
02:10North Channel?
02:10In a very weak environment, how would it fall?
02:15First of all, the results of the analysis is that the sand and the sand are smaller.
02:21The sand and the sand and the sand are smaller. The sand and the sand are smaller.
02:32Researchers found an important clue. The strata at the shipwreck site contained a distinct
02:39coarse sand layer. This differs from the uniform fine-grained deposits formed by normal tidal
02:46action, a characteristic of storm deposits. More importantly, a previous Fudan University
02:58team detected moth and mosquito DNA in the ship's sediment. This suggests that the vessel sunk
03:05in late spring or early summer peak typhoon season in the Yangtze River Estuary.
03:27Through all this evidence, a tragedy from over 150 years ago finally comes to light. A merchant
03:34ship full of hope was struck by a sudden typhoon now resting beneath the waves at the Yangtze River
03:41Estuary.
03:54With the typhoon now over, the Dali could accurately relocate the Yangtze River Estuary No. 2
04:01shipwreck site. Installation of the arched beams officially began. The crew placed the first
04:07arched beam onto the launching frame to then be lowered to the seabed and connected to
04:12the longitudinal beam framework. The tail propulsion device would drive the shield machine's tunnel boring
04:20head forward to complete seabed penetration. This shield system was specially developed for
04:26the unique conditions of the Yangtze River Estuary.
04:40As slack tide approached, the crane slowly lifted the massive launching frame, rotating it to a vertical
04:47position mid-air. It was then precisely aligned to the designated location. Although the insertion of the arched
04:58beams relied mainly on automated equipment, successfully lowering a 220-ton giant to the seabed and
05:05aligning it precisely with the longitudinal beam framework required guidance from divers.
05:13To ensure safety, they could only dive during brief periods with stable currents.
05:45with the adjacent
05:48With the assistance of divers, the launching frame was successfully connected.
05:59No one expected the arched beam to malfunction before it even got started.
06:18It was used for a while.
06:20It was not the previous test, it was a new system.
06:25It was a sudden explosion.
06:32After some troubleshooting through the night, the communication system anomaly was eventually resolved.
06:39Yet another challenge soon emerged as the tide continued to rise.
06:44The electrical valve assembly atop the launching frame was at risk of being submerged.
06:54The edge of the edge of the edge is 7 meters.
06:58But it was actually 8 meters.
07:02So we could only put the edge of the edge at 8 meters.
07:06Now it's 9 meters.
07:09To ensure absolute safety, the launching frame had to be lifted for upgrades and modifications.
07:23The engineering team worked tirelessly around the clock.
07:28The hardest part is always getting started, and it felt like the entire process had been reset.
07:42At 2.30 a.m. on September 29th, the launching frame was successfully and safely reconnected.
07:50anesha
07:51They could not have to brew their head, I would think you were anything for us.
07:54InDF412.
08:15No, no, no, no, no.
08:25It's close to the air, you can see it in the air.
08:29Before 9am, the first arched beam was successfully installed.
08:34The construction team lifted the launching frame from the water.
08:42As dusk fell, and again with the help of divers,
08:46the tunnel boring head components were successfully recovered to the deck.
08:52Unfortunately, while clearing silt from the mud discharge hole, an accident occurred.
08:58What's the problem?
09:00Maybe you can do it.
09:03There's a lot of things.
09:05How many of these things?
09:06The other one?
09:06The other one?
09:07The other one?
09:08The other one?
09:08The other one?
09:08The other one?
09:08The other one?
09:09The other one?
09:10The other one?
09:14The other one?
09:16without the need for your time or delivering to use or attack.
09:18no one?
09:22Just blind.
09:26The discovery raised everyone's heart rate.
09:30The tension in the air was palpable.
09:34Not to лnn?
09:36How's it gonna be like this?
09:38There are a number of people who are looking at the engineering team.
09:44They are not the same.
09:46They are the same.
09:46The same.
09:48The same.
09:49The same.
09:52The same.
09:53It's the same.
10:03It's not the same.
10:06It's not the same.
10:12According to the engineering design, a 2-metre safety clearance zone was maintained between the arched beam and the shipwreck.
10:21In theory, the risk of causing damage during tunnelling was extremely low.
10:26So, where had this wood-like blockage come from?
10:31The question puzzled the archaeologists.
10:35As the divers couldn't conduct a thorough inspection, the wooden samples were sent to the laboratory for identification.
10:42Were they connected to the wreck?
11:04As early as 2019, the salvage team discovered a broken mast near the wreck.
11:11Measuring over 9 metres, the exceptionally durable wood was identified through laboratory analysis as high-quality sal timber from Southeast
11:20Asia.
11:21This suggests that the Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 ancient ship was either built in a Southeast Asian shipyard or
11:30constructed in China using imported timber.
11:37This is the first fully intact ceramic item recovered from the Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 in 2016.
11:45It's a typical Vietnamese jar-shaped water pipe.
11:49As the only piece of its kind found to date, archaeologists believe it was likely a personal item belonging to
11:56a crew member.
11:56Perhaps Southeast Asian sailors did once serve on this vessel.
12:07The exchange of goods across rivers and seas, imbued with the pulse of daily life, made Shanghai one of the
12:14most vibrant global trade hubs of its time.
12:29Today, complete Qing Dynasty sand ships are exceedingly rare.
12:35All eyes were on the Yangtze River Estuary No. 2, eagerly awaiting the big reveal.
12:43This historic salvage operation captured widespread attention, as every step was closely monitored.
12:55However, after the first arched beam was successfully placed, subsequent progress was not as smooth as expected.
13:09Harsh weather repeatedly disrupted progress, while technical challenges continued to emerge.
13:16As the installation of arched beams gradually advanced, new problems arose.
13:26The relative position between the arched beams and the longitudinal beams gradually deviated from the design specifications, preventing proper installation
13:35of the pins.
13:37More alarmingly, underwater measurements showed that pressure from surrounding sediment was forcing the entire arched beam structure outward, forming a
13:45flared trumpet-like shape.
14:02The salvage team acted swiftly. They custom-designed and assembled hydraulic jacks to insert between the arched beams locking mechanisms
14:11to gradually re-align them.
14:13Finally, the arched beams were also added to the propulsion system to ensure precise beam positioning.
14:42Theze-g
14:53From late summer to mid-autumn, 21 of the 22 arched beams were successfully installed.
15:01Only the final one remained.
15:03As anticipated, accumulated deviations made the installation of the last beam extremely
15:09challenging.
15:22After repeated calculations and modeling analyses, the on-site team decided to retain the locking
15:28mechanism on only one side of the final arched beam.
15:32Multiple sealing solutions were also devised to address potential gaps, ensuring the structure's
15:39overall safety and stability.
15:41To prevent debris from clogging the slurry pumps, grills were installed over the inlet and
16:00outlet openings.
16:18At 4pm on November 14th 2022, with the final arched beam launching frame precisely in place,
16:26insertion officially began.
16:35Initially progress was smooth.
16:37The rotating cutter heads efficiently broke through the soil and the slurry pumps discharged
16:43normally, indicating that the cutting system at the front of the arched beam was functioning
16:48properly.
16:49yet, when the beam reached an inclination of about 20 degrees, abnormal discharge was observed
16:55from the pump outlet.
17:012.
17:033.
17:054.
17:054.
17:056.
17:076.
17:078.
17:089.
17:0810.
17:0910.
17:099.
17:1110.
17:1110.
17:1310.
17:1310.
17:1310.
17:14It's very normal.
17:15If you have something in your mouth, you should have to eat it.
17:17Okay.
17:26Let's take a look.
17:32There's a seat.
17:34There's a seat.
17:35There's a seat.
17:35There's a seat.
17:36There's a seat.
17:38Let's take a seat and take a seat.
17:40There's a seat.
17:44There's a seat.
17:45It's not supposed to be able to be able to get out of the car.
17:51There's two feet.
17:53There's a seat.
17:54It's possible to get out of the car.
17:57So the seat is still big.
18:00It's easy to hit the gun.
18:04These obstructive bulk bags had been installed to protect the ancient ship below.
18:10Made of high-strength fiber and filled with sand, they had been stacked around the wreck.
18:16Clearance had been done before salvage operations began,
18:20but many bags remained deeply buried in the riverbed sediment.
18:28By midnight, the operation had once again reached an impasse.
18:49To fully remove the obstruction caused by these bulk bags,
18:54the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering team proposed a cut-ahead modification plan.
18:58Bringing equipment back to the deck for modification would be very time-consuming.
19:06Facing a test of efficiency and safety, Hujian decided to proceed while preparing contingency plans,
19:13ultimately hoping for a breakthrough.
19:15Let's go.
19:18Let's go.
19:19Let's go.
19:21Let's go.
19:21Let's go.
19:22Let's go.
19:23Let's go.
19:24Let's go.
19:25Let's go.
19:31Let's go.
19:32Let's go.
19:34Let's go.
19:38Let's go.
19:41Let's go.
19:42From late night into early morning and on to noon, eventually uplifting news arrived.
19:52Let's go.
19:54Let's go.
19:54Let's go.
19:55Let's go.
19:56Let's go.
19:58Let's go.
19:59After nearly two months of almost non-stop work at sea,
20:0322 arched beams were finally assembled into a massive caisson.
20:08The ancient ship was fully enclosed along with its original archaeological deposits.
20:14A time capsule holding layers of history was about to rise from the water and begin its journey home.
20:30To safely lift the ancient ship from the seabed, the Shanghai Salvage custom-built a specialized salvage vessel called Fenli.
20:39130 meters long and 34 meters wide, it came equipped with 46 hydraulic lifting systems with a total lifting capacity
20:48exceeding 17,500 tons.
20:51Like precise mechanical hands, these systems operate in perfect synchronization under computer control, embracing the ancient ship all the way
21:01from the seabed to the moon pool at the center of the vessel.
21:24On November 18th, 2022, the Fenli was positioned precisely above the ancient ship.
21:32Operations proceeding without issue relied on calm seas and favorable weather.
21:40At 8 p.m. on November 20th, sea conditions met requirements.
21:45As 1,426 steel strands firmly secured the caisson to the Fenli, the lifting operation officially began.
21:55Everyone was gripped by anticipation as a historic breakthrough in China's underwater archaeology neared.
22:11In the early hours of November 21st, the long-awaited moment arrived.
22:16At 12.30 a.m., the ship's mast broke the surface.
22:27At 3.30 a.m., after seven and a half hours of continuous work, the 8,800 tonne caisson holding
22:35the ancient ship was fully lifted from the water.
22:38After over 150 years of rest, the merchant vessel felt the sea breeze once again cradled in the arms of
22:46the Fenli.
23:04At dawn on November 25th, escorted by tugboats, the Fenli slowly entered Wusongku port.
23:12Through the first gateway to the Yangtze River, it carried the number two ancient shipwreck.
23:18China's first navigational lighthouse stood quietly nearby.
23:23Having witnessed countless vessels come and go, it now watched the homecoming of a ship that had set sail centuries
23:29ago.
23:33Today, Shanghai, as China's international shipping hub, shines with renewed vitality in the modern era.
23:43This century-old dock on Shanghai's Yangpu district waterfront was refilled, patiently awaiting its new resident.
23:52Passing through the floodgate, the long-anticipated caisson settled safely into its new home.
23:58This site will become the Shanghai Museum North, housing the salvaged Yangtze River estuary number two shipwreck.
24:07Here, future archaeologists can continue to explore the mysteries of the ancient vessel in this dock.
24:13The
