Chip off old block

Three replicas of the ancient Filipino sailboat balangay are docked at the Manila Yacht Club on Tuesday. The sailboats made history following a successful expedition through the South China Sea from Poro Point in La Union, Philippines to Xiamen, China. The voyage of the balangay to China commemorated the travel 600 years ago of Sultan Paduka Pahala of the Sultanate of Sulu to the Middle Kingdom. Sultan Paduka Pahala sailed to China in 1417 for a tribute mission but he died there and was buried in Shandong, China.