"海上丝绸之路"1967年被正式命名。20世纪90年代，联合国教科文组织曾进行了海上丝绸之路的考察活动。海上丝绸之路是一条陶瓷之路、丝绸之路、香料之路、茶叶之路，涵盖了中国的港口史、造船史、航海史、海外贸易史、移民史、宗教史、国家关系史、中外科技文化交流史等诸多具体内容，涉及亚洲、欧洲、非洲、美洲和大洋洲。本书详细介绍海上丝绸之路的开辟和拓展，见证中外经济、文化交流的悠久历史。（Maritime Silk Road was named officially in 1967. In the 1990s,the UNESCO organized a survey of Maritime. As a matter of fact, it was a road of ceramics, silk, perfume and tea, covering many fields such as Chinese history of ports, shipbuilding, sea navigation, overseas trade, migration, religion, international relations, and Sino-foreign exchange of science, technology and culture. The road linked Asia, Europe, Africa, America and Oceania.）