Zhang Jian, the country’s first ship designed to load deep submersibles, was officially launched in Wenling, Zhejiang province in late March.

The ship is named after Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a reformist during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) who made major contributions to Nantong and the nation’s modern development.

Zhang also pioneered the nation’s marine industry, putting forward the proposal of “safeguarding the country’s fishing rights and expanding maritime rights” when the country was under the threat of foreign naval powers nearly a century ago.

In 1904, Zhang established the country’s first marine fishing company using a simplistic shareholding system. It marked the first step toward the organization of fisheries in China.

There were other firsts for Zhang: the purchase of the country’s first steam-powered fishing boat, his usage of a trawl-fishing technology and the discovery of the Zhoushan Fishing Ground, the top fishing spot in China today.

Cui Weicheng, director of Hadal Science and Technology Research Center at Shanghai Ocean University, said there is special meaning with naming the ship Zhang Jian.

“We hope to commemorate Zhang Jian’s philosophy of renovating the country through hard work,” said Cui, the lead designer of the ship. “His wish was to see China grow into a great maritime power in the world.”

Zhang Xuwu, grandson of Zhang Jian, was invited to attend the ship’s launch ceremony.

“This is a long-awaited moment to witness a ship bearing the name of my grandfather going to sea,” he said.

The ship is the country’s first marine science vessel solely funded by private investment. Measuring 97 meters long and 17.8 meters wide, the Zhang Jian can carry 60 passengers and has a 15,000-nautical-mile range, according to a report on the Shanghai Ocean University’s website.

It will become the mother ship of the Rainbow Fish, the country’s first 11,000-meter robotic submersible, said Cui.

Lu Yunjun, chairman of Rainbow Fish Ocean Technology Co, which is in charge of constructing the ship, said a series of high-tech laboratories in deep sea study will be established on the ship later to provide technical support for deep dive in the future.

Upon completion, the ship will be able to conduct systematic research on more than 20 deep trenches that are more than 6,500 meters deep in the world.

It can collect valuable plant and animal samples from the deep to help add to China’s DNA database of the world’s oceans, Lu said.

Lu claims the Zhang Jian is the only ship that can carry a manned submersible, a unmanned submersible and a lander.

It can also conduct ocean rescue tasks, underwater archaeology, film production and marine equipment installation, Lu said.

The Zhang Jian is expected to embark on its maiden voyage to the South China Sea by the end of June.

A 4,000-meter undersea test for submersibles will be conducted in the South China Sea in August. If everything goes as planned, the ship will go to the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, the world’s deepest known sea trench, to conduct an unmanned test by the end of this year. The trench is more than 11 kilometers deep.

“Hopefully, we can achieve our goal to be able to explore the bottom of the trench in a manned submersible by 2019,” Cui said.

Contact the writers through dingcongrong@chinadaily.com.cn