The Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) and Tainan City signed a contract with the National Geographic Channel (NGC) Wednesday to make a documentary on an ambitious project to reconstruct a 17th Century Taiwanese ship. 'Positioning Tainan City as the base for a renaissance in Taiwan, this project will bring this glorious chapter in Taiwan's history to the world, ' said Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair at a news conference to announce the signing of the contract with NGC for shooting the documentary. CCA Minister Huang Pi-twan said the project has a deep meaning, as after its completion, the ship will sail off on a world voyage, taking with it Taiwan's history and culture. Huang said she cannot think of a better partner than NGC to create a record of the historic project. Joanne Tsai, Taiwan and China general manager and senior vice president of the NGC, said her company is honored to be entrusted to tell such a wonderful story of Taiwan's past. 'Our mission is not only about bringing the world to Taiwan but more importantly it is to bring Taiwan to the world,' Tsai said. The reconstruction of the 17th Century vessel, which began Feb. 15, is modeled on the same type of warship used by Koxinga, also known as Cheng Cheng-gong, who was a military leader at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the general who defeated Dutch colonists to claim Taiwan in 1662. The project will be seeking to reproduce the art of traditional ancient shipbuilding techniques and to introduce to the world the history and culture of Taiwan. 82-year-old Hsu Tsung, a master shipbuilder with 62 years of experience, said that compared to the old days, construction of the ancient ship today will be easier with modern machines such as hoists, but what counts the most is still the ancient construction methods. At present, the NT$120 million (US$3.65 million) project is making good progress, with the keel having already been laid. Scheduled to be completed in December, the ship will make its maiden voyage to offshore Kinmen County and will later retrace the route taken by Koxinga. The NGC one-hour high definition documentary of the reconstruction of the ancient ship will have its premier in November 2010 in Taiwan and then in more than 30 Asian countries. A 30-second advertisement will also be made by the NGC to promote the unique and rich culture of Tainan to the world. 