European visitors trace ancient Maritime Silk Road in Hainan

en.hainan.gov.cn

Updated: 2026-05-29

More than 2,000 years ago, the South China Sea had become a vital corridor along the Maritime Silk Road — linking China with Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean countries and even Europe. Chinese porcelain, silk and tea once departed from these waters aboard merchant ships bound for distant ports — while spices, jewelry and other exotic goods flowed back into China along the same route. Hainan stood at the very heart of this great, ancient maritime trade network.

On May 27, guests participating in the Nihao China: European Travel Media and Influencers' Hainan Tour went on a visit to the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea.

European travel journalists and social media influencers visit the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea in Qionghai, Hainan province, on May 27, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Inside the exhibition halls, porcelain pieces that had rested on the seabed for centuries reappeared beneath the museum lights. Long ago, they were carried aboard merchant vessels sailing toward ports thousands of miles away.

At the special exhibition featuring the Xisha Huaguangjiao No 1 shipwreck, British blogger John Michael Chapman spent a long time examining the displays. As the guide explained the watertight bulkhead structure used in ancient Chinese ships, he asked questions about the vessel's layout and cabin design.

Later, while reading about the traditional Chinese navigation method — known as "star-guided navigation" — he was reminded of astronomical instruments once used in Europe. He noted that despite the great distance between East and West, both civilizations had developed remarkably similar tools for navigating the seas.

At the museum's digital theater, the visitors experienced a virtual descent from the ocean surface to a depth of 1,500 meters beneath the sea, gliding past coral reefs before arriving at an underwater shipwreck site.

Irish influencer Tariq Sawyer described the immersive journey aboard the Deep Sea Warrior submersible as "amazing". The simulation recreated the subtle swaying and vibrations of a real deep-sea dive as the submersible moved across the uneven seabed, making visitors feel as if they were truly underwater.

The visitors examine a porcelain artifact at the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea on May 27, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

For centuries, the South China Sea has borne witness to exchanges between China and the world. For the European guests, the museum offered more than Hainan's maritime stories — it revealed how people from East and West once met, traded and connected across the same ocean.

European travel journalists and social media influencers try out one of the museum's simulators on May 27, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]