After surviving several storms during its 10-month voyage, the junk broke in two and sank after it was rammed by a freighter just off Taiwan’s coast.
I disagree, though, with the captain’s proclamation of failure. I consider Taiwan easily close enough to maintain the plausibility of the historical claim, and it’s not as if the ship sank because of its design. I doubt many contemporary vessels would survive that kind of collision.
You can find more information about the ship’s construction and history on the project’s website. The English is a little spotty but clear enough, and the details are fascinating.
