A spectacular Antarctic aerolite, ocean satellites and models of ships belonging to Zheng He's famous fleet are some items on display at the Zheng He Ocean Voyages Exhibition & International Marine Expo, which opens today at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

This year marks the 600th anniversary of the western voyages of one of the world's greatest ancient mariners, Zheng He. As part of the commemoration, the show will run through July 14.

Tickets are available at Oriental Book and Newspaper Kiosks for free.     

The exhibition, covering more than 20,000 square meters, is divided into five parts, including the main showroom.

Among the items on display is a rare aerolite from Antarctica, almost as big as two fists, which was found during a scientific exploration recently.

Zheng He Bao Chuan, another key exhibit, stands at the center of the main showroom. The 3-meter-long imitation ship model of Zheng He's fleet is completely handmade in teak and is a 20-time scaled down version of the original. Various full-scale models, such as deep-ocean robots and ocean satellites, will also be on display for the first time.

"We are sure the exhibition will be a fantastic platform to show the development of the national shipping industry," said Huang Jianzhi, an official with the organizing committee.

 (Shanghai Daily July 8, 2005)