ZHAI Mo, a 35-year-old Shandong man, will be the first Chinese to attempt a solo voyage around the world, according to the Beijing Evening News. The man will start his "sailing ship global voyage" on March 18.

The man's route will start from Yantai, passing the coastal cities of Qingdao, Shanghai, Wenzhou, Ningbo, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Taipei, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, covering a total distance of 18,000 kilometres and taking about one month.

He will then sail back to Qingdao before continuing on to the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca. He will also cross the Atlantic Ocean after sailing through Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea.

Zhai will call on some small islands in the Caribbean Sea on the way. His route then passes through the Panama Canal in Central America. After visiting the Maya civilization he plans to head into the southern hemisphere, before travelling back to China, with a stop in the Philippines.

The total distance to be covered amounts to 28,000 nautical miles, touching upon 30 countries and over 50 ports. The journey will take 18 months.

Zhai Mo is an artist who used to live in France and New Zealand. He sailed around New Zealand from February 2000 to August 2001. One month later, he took his vessel out again into the Pacific Ocean. (Star News)