The "Maritime Silk Road" is an immortal monument created by the mankind in breaking through the setback brought by the oceans and in realizing exchanges and communication among people from different parts of the world. It is generally believed that it came into being in the Qin and Han Dynasties, began to flourish in the middle Tang Dynasty, grew to its climax in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and experienced its gradual transformation in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. By way of the "Maritime Silk Road", China's silk, porcelain, tea, ironware, lacquerware and other products ware continuously exported overseas, and foreign spices, pearls, colored glaze, gold and silver ware, rare fowls and animals, etc. were introduced into China. Thanks to these trading activities, Chinese and foreign religions, regimes, science, technology and culture became more brilliant because of cross-regional exchanges.
Porcelain is a major invention of China. From the date of its birth, Porcelain began to be yearned and pursued by people around the world, making it one of the synonyms of China, going down in history with eternal glory. Along the "Maritime Silk Road", China's porcelain was sold to all parts of the world and became best-selling products that went popular all over the world.
As the sea is not easy path, shipwrecking in storms was common in ancient times. Part of China's porcelain failed to reach the desired destinations and sank to the bottom of the sea together with the wrecked ships. Shipwrecking was a disaster at that time, but the precious treasure left at the bottom of the sea becomes a vivid witness of the "Maritime Silk Road".
"CHINA AND THE WORLD - Shipwrecks and Export Porcelain on the Maritime Silk Road", with shipwrecks and export porcelain as the two themes, exhibits more than 200 pieces of exquisite cultural relics, in the hope of drawing attention to cultural heritage, interpreting cultural sharing, understanding the past and present of the "Maritime Silk Road", perceiving the cultural exchanges and communication, and advocating the prosperity and common development of the world.