Introducing the Maritime Silk Road

China is a continental country as well as a maritime country. Both the eastern and southern parts of the Chinese mainland face the sea, with a long coastline and numerous islands. In the course of its long history, the inhabitants of China's coastal areas have engaged in seafaring activities from a very early age, constantly exploring the unknown world beyond its borders. Due to the Chinese and the residents of Asia, Africa and the vast areas of Europe *** with the efforts, and gradually established a link between the East and West of the sea line of communication, people called the "Maritime Silk Road". As we all know, silk is a specialty of ancient China, but also the world's peoples favorite commodities. Ancient land and sea lines of communication between the East and the West are named silk, indicating that China in the East-West exchanges in a pivotal special position.

The Maritime Silk Road is a ceramic road, silk road, spice road, tea road, covering the history of China's ports, shipbuilding, navigation, overseas trade, immigration, religion, state relations, Chinese and foreign science and technology and cultural exchanges, and many other specifics, involving Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Oceanic States. This book details the opening and expansion of the Maritime Silk Road, witnessing the long history of economic and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

Through the study of the distribution area of sea vessels and excavated pottery, as well as stone tools with shoulders and segments, copper drums and copper battle-axes, it is known that Lingnan ancestors in the pre-Qin period had already traveled to the South China Sea and even the South Pacific coast and its islands, and their culture indirectly influenced the Indian Ocean coast and its islands.

According to the unearthed relics and the study of ancient documents, South Vietnam has been able to manufacture 25-30 tons of wooden boats, and had considerable interaction with overseas. This means that the "Maritime Silk Road" emerged after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty destroyed the South Vietnamese state. In the Eastern Han Dynasty (especially in the later period), sails were used on ships; Qin (the Roman Empire) reached Guangzhou by sea for the first time to conduct trade; and Chinese merchants of an official nature also reached Rome. This marked the formation of the Maritime Silk Road in the true sense of the word, which traversed three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. With the development of mulberry cultivation and textile industry in the Han Dynasty, silk fabrics became the main export products in this period. Frankincense (incense burner) and domestic servants (figurines of lamps) are not seen in the previous imports. According to the "Han Shu - Geography" records, China's export ships "since the day of the southern barrier plug, Xu Wen Hepu (now in Guangxi) sail", which is about the "Maritime Silk Road" the earliest records, but also "Maritime Silk Road "The earliest export port is Xuwen, Guangdong and present-day Guangxi Hepu proof.

The main reason for the formation of the southeastern coast of China is because there are many mountains and few plains, and internal exchanges are not easy, so since ancient times, many people have been active in the development of the sea. And in order to solve the inconvenience of the land route, because the land route by the terrain, to the West will pass through a lot of more unsuitable for human habitation in ancient China that is this exchange, especially the southeast coast of China residents, is more significant. Not only did they transport silk, but also exported goods such as porcelain, sugar, and hardware, and imported goods such as spices, herbs, and precious stones.

Due to the expansion of the two Han Dynasty to parts of present-day Southeast Asia, the government strengthened the management of coastal ports and cities along the Maritime Silk Road, for example, in today's Xuwen, "set up around the Waiting Officer, seven miles south of the county, the accumulation of goods here, ready for what they want, and trading. Some more important commercial cities also appeared, such as Panyu, Xuwen, Hepu (near present-day Hepu), Longjie (present-day Hanoi, Vietnam), Guangxin (present-day Wuzhou), and Busan (present-day Guigang). It is particularly noteworthy that the waterway and land transportation between Lingnan and the mainland also became important and was thus repaired.

After Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, emissaries and merchants from the Han Dynasty traveled westward one after another, and emissaries and merchants from the Western Regions came eastward one after another. They put China's silk and textiles, from Chang'an through the Hexi Corridor, now the Xinjiang region, transported to West Asia, and then transit to Europe, and the Western countries of the exotic treasures into the Chinese mainland. This major land route for communication between China and the West is the famous Silk Road in history. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, merchants of the Western Han Dynasty often went out to sea to trade, and opened up a major maritime transportation route, which is the famous Maritime Silk Road in history.

The Maritime Silk Road was a route of maritime transportation between China and the rest of the world. China's silk in addition to the transcontinental land transportation lines through a large number of lost to Central Asia, West Asia and Africa, European countries, but also through the sea transportation lines constantly sold to countries around the world. Therefore, in the German geographer LiHiHoFen will transverse east-west land transportation route named silk road, some scholars and then to be derived, said the east and west of the sea transportation route for the sea silk road. Later, China's famous ceramics, but also through this maritime transportation route to the countries, the West's incense also imported into China through this route, some scholars therefore also called this maritime transportation route for the ceramic road or incense and porcelain road. The Maritime Silk Road was formed at the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. From China, sailing westward to the South China Sea route, is the main line of the Maritime Silk Road. At the same time, there is a route from China to the east to reach the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese islands of the East China Sea, which in the Maritime Silk Road occupies a secondary position. About the South China Sea route of the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty Han Wu Di sent messengers and merchants should be recruited to the sea trade voyage said: from Ri Nan (now in central Vietnam) or Xu Wen (now belongs to the Guangdong Province), Hepu (now belongs to the Guangxi Province) by boat out to sea, along the east coast of the South China Peninsula southward, arrived in the Mekong River delta by five months of the metropolitan area (now the south of Vietnam's Dishi). Then they traveled north along the west coast of the Central and Southern Peninsula, and arrived at the mouth of the Mekong River in Yilu (present-day Foton in Thailand) after four months of sailing. From there, they traveled south along the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and arrived at Cham Lei (present-day Pasir Ris in Thailand) after more than 20 days, where they abandoned their ships and disembarked, crossed the isthmus and walked for more than 10 days before arriving at the capital city of Hufu, Loe (present-day Tanah Salim in Myanmar). Then he boarded a ship and sailed westward in the Indian Ocean, arriving at Huangzhi (present-day Kancheepuram on the southeast coast of India) after more than two months. Back to the country, from the Yellow Branch south to the country has not been Cheng (now Sri Lanka), and then straight east, after eight months sailed to the Strait of Malacca, moored in the Pi Zong (now the Pisan Island, west of Singapore), and finally sailing for more than two months, from the Pi Zong sailed to the Nissan County, the territory of the Elephant Forest County (seat of governance in the present-day Vichon County, south of the Tea Buckwheat, Vietnam).

The Silk Road is a graphic and apt name. In the ancient world, only China was the first country to start growing mulberry, raising silkworms and producing silk fabrics. Archaeological discoveries throughout China in recent years have shown that since the Shang, Zhou to the Warring States period, silk production technology has developed to a fairly high level. Chinese silk fabrics are still one of the most important products that China has offered to the people of the world, and they have been handed down far and wide, covering all the contributions that the Chinese people have made to the world's civilization. Therefore, for many years, many researchers have wanted to give this road another name, such as "Jade Road", "Gem Road", "Buddhist Road", "Ceramic Road" and so on, however, can only reflect a part of the Silk Road, and ultimately can not replace the "Silk Road" this name.

The Maritime Silk Road has two main routes, the East China Sea route and the South China Sea route, which have a longer history than the land-based Silk Road. The Eastern Sea Route began at the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty (1112 B.C.) when King Wu sent Minzi to Korea to teach silkworm weaving techniques. Keji then set out from the Bohai Bay harbor on the Shandong Peninsula and took the waterway to North Korea. In this way, the Chinese techniques of sericulture, silk reeling and weaving were first introduced to Joseon through the Yellow Sea. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang (221 BC) swallowed the six countries, the people of Qi, Yan, Zhao and other countries to escape the hard labor and carry silkworm seeds and accompanying sericulture technology continued to the sea to Korea, accelerating the spread of silk weaving industry in Korea.

China and Japan, the two countries are linked by water, through the Korean Peninsula or through the Sea of Japan Loop waterway, the interaction is very convenient. There have been legends about sericulture in Japan since ancient times. Legend has it that in 219~210 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, in his quest for immortality, sent Xufu to lead thousands of boys, girls, crews, and workers to Japan to spread the technology of sericulture, and the Japanese people honored Xufu as the "God of Silkworms". It is also recorded that in the third century B.C., two brothers from the Wu region of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and China crossed the Yellow Sea to Japan to teach silkworm weaving and the art of sewing Wu clothes. Subsequently, the mainland people or through North Korea, or from Shandong, three by three to settle in Japan, the interaction is very close, and promote the development of sericulture in Japan.

According to the ancient history of Japan, in the Western Han Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Ai (6 BC), the Chinese Luo fabrics and Luo weaving technology has been transmitted to Japan. In the third century A.D., Chinese silk jacquard technology and engraved printing technology was introduced to Japan. During the Sui Dynasty, Chinese openwork plate printing technology was once again introduced to Japan. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Japanese envoys and monks traveled frequently to and from China, they obtained green damask in Taizhou, Zhejiang, and brought it back to Japan as a prototype, imitating the colorful brocade, damask, folder val, etc., Japan still follows the name of China's Tang Dynasty, such as: stranded val, waxed val, roses, silks, damasks, feathers and so on.

During the Tang Dynasty, silk produced in Jiangsu and Zhejiang was shipped directly to Japan by sea, and silk fabrics had begun to change from gifts to formal commodities. Nara was the capital of Japan at that time, which can be said to be the end of the Chinese Silk Road, and the Shokurain was the place to store official cultural relics. Today's Shosoin has become Japan's preservation of Chinese silk fabrics of the Tang Dynasty treasure trove, many of which are difficult to see even in the mainland, such as colorful printed brocade, lion Tangkusa Zoraku brocade, Lotus large brocade, hunting brocade, Deer Tangkusa brocade, Lotus brocade, etc., as well as a number of Chinese artisans at the time of production in Japan, both the style of the Tang Dynasty and the Japanese national features of the silk fabrics.

After the Song Dynasty, with the further development of southern China and the economic center of gravity of the south, from Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Hangzhou and other places of the increasingly developed sea routes, more and more far away, from the South China Sea to the Arabian Sea, and even as far as the east coast of Africa. People to these maritime trade routes, commonly known as the "Maritime Silk Road". Since ancient times, the Maritime Silk Road has a number of routes. The Maritime Silk Road for the transportation of other goods and the maritime ceramics road, the maritime medicine road.

Since the 1930s, Guangzhou has been the main harbor of the Maritime Silk Road. The Sun Wu regime Huangwu five years (226 years) set up Guangzhou (county rule of today's Guangzhou City), strengthened the southern sea trade. Historical evidence shows that Guangzhou became the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Foreign trade involved 15 countries and regions. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Guangzhou became the largest port in China and a world-famous oriental port city. The route from Guangzhou to the Persian Gulf via the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean was the longest ocean route in the world at that time. During the Yuan Dynasty, Guangzhou's position as China's number one port was replaced by Quanzhou, but Guangzhou remained China's second largest port. In the more than 2,000 years of history of the Maritime Silk Road, Guangzhou is considered the only port that has remained unchanged for a long time compared to other coastal ports. During the early Ming and early Qing dynasties, Guangzhou was under a long period of "one port for business" due to the prohibition of the sea. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were three routes of the Maritime Silk Road starting from Guangzhou. 1784, the American "Queen of China" visited Guangdong, marking the opening of the direct route from the United States to Guangzhou.

"Flower Pagoda, Light Pagoda for a city of the standard, the shape of the family said that the meeting of the city, such as a large ship, two towers of its masts, five-story building of its navigational building cloud."

- Qing Dynasty - Qu Dajun "Guangdong New Words" Volume 19, describes the image of Guangzhou city as a "big ship".

There are enough historical materials and artifacts to prove that the earliest port of departure of the Maritime Silk Road was Guangzhou. To put it simply, Guangzhou was a huge distribution center for goods, the Canton Fair of the world. Because of its fame and prosperity, the Indian merchants who came to China during the Tang and Song dynasties even used Guangzhou as a synonym for China. Tang monk yijing in the "datang western region seeks the law monks biography - china country" article note said "china that is guangzhou also"; zanning "monks biography" said: "india common call guangfu (guangzhou) for 'china'". "

At that time, the Indian people called Guangfu (Guangzhou) 'Chinas'.

At that time, the "Canton Fair" are some of the things? According to the "Song Hui Yao draft" records, Guangzhou exports are mainly gold, silver, lead, tin and other hardware raw materials and porcelain, silk, cloth and other handicrafts, imports are mainly luxury consumer goods, spices, drugs, teeth, rhinoceros horn, coral.

Currently preserved in Guangzhou city around the "Maritime Silk Road" site **** there are more than 20, including the South Sea Temple, Huaisheng Temple, light tower, light filial piety temple, the ancient tomb of halal sages, Hua Lin Temple, Lotus Tower, Shamian Western-style buildings, etc., which Huaisheng Temple is the earliest introduction of Islam into China's mosque. Guangzhou Maritime Silk Road easy development, resulting in foreign trade revenue became the financial dependence of the Southern Dynasties regimes.

The opening of the Maritime Silk Road made China's foreign trade flourish. Yuan Dynasty Italian Marco Polo is by land "Silk Road" to China, and by the "maritime Silk Road" to return to their own countries, his travels recorded along the way in the South Ocean and the Indian Ocean sea many "spice island ".