Maritime Silk Road
Originating in the Qin (221-206 B.C.) and Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) and thriving in the Tang (618-907) and Song Dynasty (960-1279), the Maritime Silk Road refers to the important sea routes linking China to the rest of the world. This mainly consists of two routes: the East China Sea Silk Route and the South China Sea Silk Route. The East China Sea Silk Route runs from China's Liaodong Peninsula and Jiaodong Peninsula to the Korean Peninsula, the Japanese Archipelago, and Southeast Asia. Alongside the continuous transportation of merchandise, Chinese culture was also transmitted overseas along the route, including elements like Confucianism, the legal system, Chinese characters, costumes, architecture, kung fu, and tea-drinking customs. The South China Sea Silk Route started from Guangzhou and Quanzhou and went to Southeast Asia and countries along the Indian Ocean. Beginning in the Han Dynasty, China expanded the Maritime Silk Road from east to west, while the Roman Empire sailed from west to east. The two finally met at the Indian Peninsula, thus extending the Maritime Silk Road to the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. This was the first sea route across the Indian Ocean in world history and the longest ocean route at that time.
Through the ages, countries along the routes engaged in extensive and profound exchange with each other including building oceangoing vessels, expanding sea routes, improving navigation technology, constructing trade ports, transporting cargo, regulating foreign trade, managing the flow of immigrants, exchanging official envoys, disseminating music and art, and spreading exotic species. The Maritime Silk Road linked China with other countries by sea, promoted trade and cultural exchange, and contributed to the common development of countries along the routes. In 2013, China proposed the important initiative of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, injecting vigor and vitality into the ancient Silk Road and elevating mutually beneficial cooperation with countries in Asia, Europe and Africa to new heights.
海上絲綢之路
海上絲綢之路是古代連接中國與世界其他地區的海上通道，它由“東海航線”和“南海航線”兩大干線組成，形成于秦漢時期，興盛于唐宋時期。海上絲綢之路東海航線從中國遼東半島、膠東半島通向朝鮮半島、日本列島直至東南亞，中國的商品被源源不斷地輸往這些地區，中國文化包括儒家思想、律令制度、漢字、服飾、建筑、武術、飲茶習俗等也得到大規模的海外傳播。海上絲綢之路南海航線從中國廣州、泉州通向東南亞、印度洋地區。從漢代開始，中國從東向西拓展海上絲綢之路，羅馬帝國則自西而東航行，最后在印度半島對接，從而使海上絲綢之路延伸到波斯灣、紅海。這是世界歷史上第一條跨越印度洋的海上航線，也是當時世界上最長的遠洋航線。
自古以來，不同國家、不同文明沿著海上絲綢之路展開充分、深刻而廣泛的交流，包括遠洋船只的打造、海上航線的拓展、航海技術的演進、外貿港口的興建、遠洋貨物的販運、對外貿易的管理、外來僑民的流動、官方使節的往來、音樂藝術的傳播、異域物種的擴散等。海上絲綢之路成為中國與外國貿易往來和文化交流的海上大通道，推動了沿線各國的共同發展。2013年，中國提出共建“21世紀海上絲綢之路”重大倡議，讓古絲綢之路煥發新的生機活力，推動亞歐非各國互利合作邁向新的歷史高度。
