Taiwan Boat, a replica Ming dynasty junk from the era of Zheng Cheng-gong, or Koxinga, will be officially launched Dec. 4 at Anping Harbor in Tainan City.
Built in honor of Zheng, who is renowned for driving the Dutch from Taiwan in 1662 before establishing a 22-year mini-kingdom on the island, the wooden vessel represents a significant investment by the Tainan City Government in promoting Taiwanese history abroad.
“Since the reign of the Zheng family ended, this vessel has been absent from the island’s waters,” Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-Tsair said Nov. 29. “Its maiden voyage represents a new beginning in the history of the Taiwan Strait.”
According to Hsu, following blessing rituals, the junk will sail to Luermen in Tainan where Zheng first set foot on Taiwanese soil.
As part of ROC centennial celebrations, the 29.5 meter-long and 7.26 meter-wide boat will sail around Taiwan next year before traveling to Zheng’s birthplace, Hirado City in Japan. It is also set to retrace the historic figure’s footsteps by visiting Taiwan’s outlying islands of Penghu and Kinmen, as well as Quanzhou in mainland China. (JSM)
Write to Elaine Hou at elainehou@mail.gio.gov.tw