Centuries-old shipwreck emerges on beach after deadly typhoon hits Vietnam

Severe coastal erosion caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi exposed a centuries-old shipwreck in Vietnam, providing a narrow window to salvage what experts say could be a historically significant find.

Initially discovered in 2023 off the coast of Hoi An, the 57-foot ship, whose heavy, wooden-ribbed hull survived hundreds of years of rough seas almost perfectly intact, submerged again before authorities could recover it.

Experts have not yet dated the wreck, but preliminary findings suggest it was built between the 14th and 16th centuries, when Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the center of a thriving regional trade in silk, pottery and spices.

“We are currently preparing to apply for an emergency excavation (permit),” Pham Phu Ngoc, director of the Hoi An Center for the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage, told News on Monday after the shipwreck resurfaced following Typhoon Kalmaegi last week.

“The discovery of this ancient ship is clear evidence of Hoi An’s important historical role in regional trade,” he said, adding that more of the ship had been exposed this time, “which could provide us with more information.”

A team of experts from the Hoi An Preservation Center, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and a local museum examined the wreck last year.

In addition to the rough age estimate, they discovered that it had been made of “durable, high-strength wood” and reinforced with waterproofing materials to seal its joints.

“The structure of the ship suggests that it was capable of long-distance voyages, probably used for maritime trade or naval operations,” the Hoi An center said in an earlier statement.

The relic is at risk of “severe deterioration without immediate conservation actions,” given severe coastal erosion and the ship’s frequent exposure to harsh weather conditions, he said.

The wreck was still clearly visible on Monday, with crowds gathering on the beach to view its striking skeletal structure.

Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 188 people in the Philippines and five in Vietnam, BBC News reported, citing figures released by the two countries.

Weather in the US has recently exposed long-hidden shipwrecks

In May, a Wisconsin fisherman discovered the wreck of a tugboat submerged in the waters of Lake Michigan for more than a century after winter storms exposed it.

In 2024, erosion caused by storms and exceptionally high tides revealed a large section of a 114-year-old shipwreck in Massachusetts.

In 2022, severe beach erosion caused by two hurricanes helped uncover a wooden boat dating back to the 19th century that had been buried under the sand in Florida.