A replica 17th century junk built to prove that China's ancient mariners could have reached America before Columbus or Magellan has sunk off the coast of Taiwan just a day's sailing short of completing a 17,000-mile return crossing of the Pacific.

The Princess Taiping — meaning "peace" in Chinese — was within sight of shore off Su Ao harbour in northeast Taiwan when it was sliced in two after a collision with a Liberian-registered cargo vessel.

Click here to read a report and see photos of the boat and rescue in the San Francisco Chronicle.