Part of the collection of Chinese junks held by the MAS museum in Antwerp is being in the China Maritime Museum in Shanghai from 4 June onwards. To further promote the good trade relations with China that go back for centuries, the Port of Antwerp was keen to mount a temporary exhibition in that country, showing part of its collection with immense cultural and historical significance.
 
CHINESE JUNKS, A PRICELESS HERITAGE
The collection of Chinese junks in Antwerp’s MAS museum comprises a large proportion of the more than 100 models built at the beginning of the 20th century on the orders of the Chinese emperor for the World Fair in the American city of Saint Louis. It is the most valuable collection of Chinese junks in the world, giving a very good impression of Chinese regional shipbuilding over the years. There are few places where the junks could be displayed to better effect than the MAS museum, which presents the long history of commercial and cultural exchange between the city of Antwerp, its port and the rest of the world. But now some of the junks in this unique collection are venturing out for the first time, to be exhibited in the China Maritime Museum. “Our warm and friendly relations with China go back a very long way. Thanks to our major international ports and our rich cultural past we are able to appreciate one another fully, both in economic and in cultural and historic terms,” says port alderman Marc Van Peel, explaining the idea behind the exhibition.
To mount the exhibition in Shanghai various parties have collaborated over the past few years under the unceasing guidance of the Friends of the National Shipping Museum, a non-
profit organization. The Cosco shipping company provided the sea transport,Ahlers co-ordinated the forwarding,Van Breda contributed transport, and Voka Antwerp (Chamber of Commerce) helped to cover the customs costs.The City of Antwerp and the Antwerp Museums & Heritage association for their part helped to make the exhibits ready for shipment, while the China Maritime Museum is curating the exhibition.
 
ANTWERP, MAJOR INTERNATIONAL PORT AND GATEWAY TO EUROPE
The port of Antwerp handles an annual Chinese freight volume of 10mt (million tonnes). In 2011 the total amount of shipping trade between China and Antwerp expanded by 42%, reaching an all-time high. The increase was mainly due to metals, oil products and containerized freight. The advantages of Antwerp as a major international port and gateway to Europe were showcased at a roadshow held by Antwerp Port Authority in the port cities of Shanghai and Ningbo from 4 to 8 June.
In addition to the two Port Days in Shanghai and Ningbo, the port of Antwerp was present at the Transport Logistics exhibition in Shanghai and the Investment & Trade exhibition in Ningbo.
 
RAISING ANTWERP’S NAME RECOGNITION
In recent years the port of Antwerp has placed great emphasis on building up name recognition and market share in China. Treaties of friendship have already been signed with the ports of Shanghai, Dalian, Ningbo and Shenzhen, and the port community also sends delegations twice per year to other port cities in order to further promote good relations.