AMSTERDAM, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- About 76,000 pieces of 18th century Chinese porcelain, salvaged from a ship that sank 280 years ago during its journey to Europe, were auctioned here on Wednesday for more than 3 million euros (about 3.9 million U.S. dollars).

    The Chinese porcelain, salvaged from the wreck near Ca Mau, in Vietnamese waters, sold at auction for 3,046,716 euros (3,899,888 dollars), including the buyer's premium, said U.S. auctioneers Sotheby's.

    "We are absolutely delighted with the results of this sale. The buyers appreciated the quality of the porcelain that was produced in Jingdezhen," said Mark Grol, director of Sotheby's Amsterdam.

    "The wonderful opportunity to be the first owner of this 18th century Chinese porcelain had a strong appeal," he said, adding that "the story of the shipwreck near the Vietnamese Ca Mau peninsula captured the imagination of thousands of collectors."

    The porcelain pieces, most of them blue and white, believed to be European-market-oriented, attracted nearly 200 collectors and dealers from Europe, America and Asia.

    The shipwreck was discovered in 1998 by Vietnamese fishermen. Some items from the cargo are now on display in Vietnamese museums.

    According to researchers, the ship had been bound for the Netherlands via the Dutch trading post of Batavia, which is now the Indonesian capital Jakarta.