This translation of collected articles by Yan Chen (1916-2016) examines the role of the Maritime Silk Road in the formation of world civilizations. Analyzing the Maritime Silk Road's political, economic, cultural, and technological influence, Chen argues that this expansive trade network was vital to the spread of traditional Chinese culture.

Yan Chen (1916-2016) was professor of Oriental studies at Peking University, adviser to the Chinese Overseas Transportation History Research Association, and honorary director of the Chinese Society for Historians of China's Foreign Relations.