A descendant of a POW of Lisbon Maru touches the Memorial for Dongji Fishermen's Rescue of British Prisoners of War in Zhoushan. [Photo/VCG]

The documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, produced in Putuo district, Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, received the Excellence Award at the inaugural Zhijiangchao Cultural Awards, according to the award list released on March 10.

The Zhijiangchao Cultural Awards, established by Zhejiang, are a biennial recognition of cultural and artistic achievements. This year's awards included 80 winners from across the province. The documentary, directed by Fang Li, took eight years to make and featured interviews with over 380 descendants of survivors and over 10,000 historical photographs.

To accurately locate the sunken Lisbon Maru, Fang, a marine scientist and geophysicist, conducted two marine surveys in the waters around Zhoushan, resulting in the creation of the first sonar map of the ship's location.

The film premiered in London on Aug 15, 2023, and had its domestic debut in Putuo in August 2024. It later saw a wide release in the Chinese mainland on Sept 6, 2024, before beginning screenings in the United Kingdom and Ireland in March 2025.

In November 2024, the film won Best Documentary/Science Film at the 37th Golden Rooster Awards.

Putuo will continue to promote its local history and cultural influence while encouraging the production of more cultural works that reflect the area's heritage.