Swedish royals arrived aboard Gotheborg

Swedish king Carl VXI Gustaf and his wife, Queen Silvia, arrived in Guangzhou last Tuesday aboard a replica of the ancient merchant ship Gotheborg. They are accompanied by a trade delegation from Swedish companies, including Ericsson, ABB, Volvo, Scandinavian Airlines and SAAB.

Between 1743 and 1745, the original Gotheborg made three voyages from Gothenburg to Guangzhou, establishing trade relations between Sweden and China. It mysteriously sunk just 900 meters from its destination on its last return trip to Sweden in 1745. Its precious cargo of Chinese silk, porcelain and tea accompanied it to the bottom of the sea.

Gotheborg III, as the replica is called, was built in 10 years at a cost of about 34 million euros. It is expected to promote relations between Sweden and China, just as the original ship did.

The Gotheborg III will drop anchor in Shanghai on August 29, where a two-month cultural festival on The Bund has been planned. Gotheborg III began its voyage on October 2 last year to commemorate the friendship between Sweden and China.