Staff spray water on the ship's body to keep the wreckage moist in Yangjiang, Guangdong province, Feb 3, 2015. [Photo/CFP]

The wreck of a ship sunk almost 800 years ago and discovered in the South China Sea near Guangdong province nearly three decades ago has begun to reveal its history at last.

The ship, dating from China's ancient South Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and containing a vast quantity of cultural relics is called Nanhai I by archaeologists and is the largest vessel of the Song Dynasties (960-1279) found so far.

Discovered in Aug 1987 and salvaged in 2007, experts speculate it sailed from China along the Maritime Silk Road and was bound for Southeastern Asian countries to carry out porcelain trade.