Hailing Island

In 2007 a Southern Song merchant ship that sank around 1160 was lifted from the seabed off this coast in one piece, encased in a steel caisson weighing thousands of tonnes, and moved into a purpose-built museum on Hailing Island where it sits in a glass tank of seawater while archaeologists excavate it in public view. The Nanhai One carried tens of thousands of pieces of ceramic, gold and silver bound for the Indian Ocean, and its recovery is among the most ambitious marine archaeology projects attempted anywhere. The island around it has long sandy beaches, notably Dajiao Bay, which draw Guangdong holidaymakers.

What you actually see

• Nanhai One - the Song wreck raised whole and excavated inside the museum.
• The cargo - ceramics, gold and silver recovered from the ship.
• Dajiao Bay - the island's long main beach.
• The public excavation - archaeologists working on the hull in view.

When to go

October to April for mild weather and quiet beaches; July and August are hot, crowded and typhoon-prone. The museum is open year-round and closes on Mondays.

Honest expectations

The wreck is viewed through glass in a water tank and looks like a sediment mass rather than a ship. Beach development is heavy and standards vary. Labelling is largely Chinese.

Nearby

Yangjiang lies north; Huguangyan is far southwest.