Feature: Chinese sailor retraces ancient Maritime Silk Road

As the first Chinese to circumnavigate the globe solo on an unpowered sailing boat, Zhai Mo is proud of his small sailing boat that faced rough challenges throughout the long journey.

Riding a small 18-meter long, 4.7-meter wide boat with a 23-meter mast, the Chinese adventurer started from China's southeast province of Fujian, sailing through the Indian Ocean, crossing Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the Red Sea and then Egypt's Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea. Zhai is planning to finally reach Malta in Europe by mid-August to complete his long journey.

"I followed the ancient route of Zheng He's voyage which marks China's Maritime Silk Road," Zhai told Xinhua, adding that his purpose is to let the world know more about China's history and its wish to cooperate more with all countries around the globe.

Zhai's trip was launched in response to the "Belt and Road" initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives bring together over 50 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa with the purpose of boosting infrastructure building, financial cooperation and cultural exchanges in those regions.

Supported by several Chinese institutions, Zhai also cooperated with several countries to hold some cultural exchange activities during his long-distance cruise, such as art exhibitions, photo galleries and so on.

"The main purpose of these activities is to let the world know more about China and to boost relations between China and countries along the route in various fields," Zhai told Xinhua.

Talking about the challenges he faced on his journey during the past few months, Zhai said with a smile on his face, "Sailing is full of uncertainties."

"When we were in the Gulf of Aden, we faced groups of pirates, who forced us to deviate from our planned route and we had to stand seven days without food or water," he continued "but thankfully a convoy of the Chinese navy provided us protection and supplies for 48 hours until we were safe."

The Chinese captain narrated that the lack of personnel on his small boat made him unable to sleep in the cabin and that he had to tie himself on the deck every night to wake up at any moment to check the boat.

Recalling his sailing experiences, Zhai said that he started to sail in 2000 and that he had gone through several adventures since then. "But the retracing of the Ancient Maritime Silk Road gave me the most unforgettable memories of all."

The captain said he stopped in different countries and socialized with different people through his remarkable trip, which made him feel like the ancient merchants who followed the same maritime route in the past.

As a famous artist, Zhai also took his adventures on the sea as inspiration for his life in general and his paintings in particular.

"Sailing has inspired me a lot," he told Xinhua, "the sea is either dark black or light grey in my eyes, based on my personal understanding of its wildness."

Zhai lamented that sailing is still not such a common activity in China, noting he has founded a sailing school in China's south province of Hainan to promote it.

"I would like to make use of my experiences and skills to teach more Chinese people about sailing and encourage them to explore the amazing maritime civilization," he concluded. Endit