A replica wooden boat which has sailed along the ancient maritime Silk-Road made a stopover here alongside the Victorian Harbor on Saturday, aiming to promote the next Asian Games to be held in China's southern city of Guangzhou in 2010.

The boat, named Cocachin after a Yuan Dynasty princess who was escorted by the famed Marco Polo to Persia for marriage, has already visited some 20 countries and regions in Asia since it set sail from Kuwait on March 11, Xu Ruisheng, deputy mayor of Guangzhou, told a press conference.

He said the promotional tour, as part of the "Road of Asia" campaign designed to heat up enthusiasm for the sports event, has "conveyed the friendly feelings of the host city to countries and regions registered for the game and boosted cross-cultural exchanges."

Timothy T.T Fok, head of Hong Kong's Olympic Committee, lauded the tour as "integrating sports with economy and culture" and " providing a broad stage for all Asian countries" to foster closer ties.

"Cocachin will continue its trip to East Asia. It is expected to fulfill its mission by the one-year countdown to the 2010 games and return to Guangzhou fully loaded with the precious friendship of our Asian neighbors and diverse cultures of the region," said Yuan Yue, secretary of the "Road of Asia" program.

She added that a motorcade will also start its journey along the land-based Silk Road in August to promote the 2010 Asian Games.

According to officials of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, preparation works for the games are going smoothly as scheduled, with 31 companies having already signed contracts pledging record-high financial support to the event.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2009)