After their detection of over 120 shipwrecks in 2014, local authorities announced on Monday that a group of Chinese archaeologists has sailed to South China Sea for a 45-day shipwreck exploration.
Zhongguokaogu 01, China's archaeological research ship, left Qinglan Port in Wenchang City, Hainan Province, on Sunday to excavate a shipwreck site near Shanhu Island in Xisha archipelago.
Shanhu Island covers an area of about 20,000 square meters, with water depth ranging from two to seven meters, Xinhua reported.
According to the spokesman, the team will also conduct an underwater analysis on another submerged ship around Jinyin Island in Xisha.
The shipwreck spots hold valuable objects from the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912.
In 2008, China conducted its first underwater exploration in a shipwreck site located in Huaguang reef around Xisha Islands.
Archaeologists have discovered collections of porcelains from an ancient vessel which sank more than 700 years ago.
China began claiming all the shipwreck sites around the South China Sea in 2013, in belief that the areas have been part of its territorial waters for centuries.
These claims were, however, opposed by neighboring countries Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, as the areas around the South China Sea are rich in aquatic resources as well as oil and natural gas deposits.
To prevent illegal archaeological explorations, China ordered its coast guards to watch over the sites and began a state-run marine-archaeology program, The Wall Street Journal reported.