Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, the Maritime Silk Road has been called the Porcelain Road. The Maritime Silk Road, also known as the Ceramic Road, is an extension of the onshore Silk Road, which was formed in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The main reason for its formation is that there are few mountain plains along the southeast coast of China, and internal communication is not easy, so many people have actively explored the sea since ancient times. This route has many nicknames because of the different goods transported.

With the import of spices from Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia, this route is also called "Spice Road".

The Maritime Silk Road refers to the maritime passage for economic and cultural exchanges between ancient China and other parts of the world.

More than 2,000 years ago, the Maritime Silk Road, starting from Xuwen Port and Hepu Port in China, became a worldwide trade network.

Hayes Road starts from the southeast coast of China, passes through Indian zhina Peninsula and South China Sea countries, crosses the Indian Ocean, enters the Red Sea, and reaches East Africa and Europe. It has become a major maritime channel for trade and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, which has promoted the development of countries along the route.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a sea route along the southeast coast of China called "Guangzhou Tonghai Island", which was the name of the earliest Maritime Silk Road in China. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, China's shipbuilding technology and navigation technology were greatly improved, and the navigation ability of merchant ships was comprehensively improved by the application of compass. During this period, China had direct business contacts with more than 60 countries in the world on the Maritime Silk Road.