Maritime Silk Road exhibit opens

An exhibition titled Maritime Silk Road Sailing Far and Wide on the Sea was unveiled at Beijing's Capital Museum on Friday and will run through June 22.

The exhibition was co-launched by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Beijing municipal government and Fujian provincial government.

It features 240 items, including silk, porcelain and bronze pieces, from across the nation and gives an introduction to the crucial trade and cultural communication route.

The Maritime Silk Road started about the time of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), and reached its peak during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The great navigator Zheng He and his fleets in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) also saw peak maritime activity.