“一帶一路”：人類文明互鑒之途

劉凡力 徐露路 馬克強

張騫策馬西行，鄭和揚帆遠航。

一條始于 2100 年前的商旅征途，恰如一座橋梁，聯(lián)通了亞歐間的貿(mào)易，融匯著東西方的文明，被稱為“絲綢之路”。

另一條始于秦漢時期，作為古代中國與世界其他地區(qū)進行經(jīng)濟文化交流交往的“海上絲綢之路”，從廣州、泉州、寧波、揚州等沿海城市出發(fā)，經(jīng)南洋到阿拉伯海，最遠至非洲東海岸。

數(shù)千年后，“絲綢之路經(jīng)濟帶”和“21世紀海上絲綢之路”（以下稱“一帶一路”）的重大戰(zhàn)略構想在世界經(jīng)濟版圖上從容鋪展。民心相通，無遠弗屆，這條橫跨數(shù)萬公里的夢想之路，上承千年商行輝煌，下連時代壯闊前景，撬動頗具前途的國際合作，激發(fā)富有潛力的經(jīng)濟互惠，滋養(yǎng)飽有活力的發(fā)展機遇。

浙江，是古代“絲綢之路”尤其是“海上絲綢之路”的重要節(jié)點，浙江沿海的杭州、寧波、溫州、臺州等地，在中外交往史上留下了瑰麗篇章。如今，在“一帶一路”的時代背景之下，浙江正全面展現(xiàn)豐碩的建設成果，踐行著文明交流互鑒的歷史使命。

杭州：絲綢業(yè)對外的一扇窗口

“千里迢迢來杭州，半為西湖半為綢。”三國時期以來，杭州一直是國內最大的港口之一，特別是到了南宋時期，杭州成為中國古代最主要的“海上絲綢之路”的港口。絲綢、茶葉、瓷器這3種最能代表古代中國的物品在杭州都可以找到，成為了江南地區(qū)的“金名片”。

南宋時期，杭州的蠶桑絲綢生產(chǎn)技術也有了很大進步。據(jù)《咸淳臨安志》記載，南宋時，杭州生產(chǎn)的絲織品主要有綾、羅、錦、緞、刻絲、杜緙、鹿胎、纻絲、紗、絹、綿、紬等10多個大類品種。

民國時期以來，杭州的絲綢業(yè)由手工生產(chǎn)向機器生產(chǎn)轉變，絲綢制造裝備、技術水平都發(fā)生了歷史性變化，絲綢產(chǎn)品質量顯著提高，花色品種更加豐富，并誕生了一批著名的絲綢企業(yè)和綢莊，建立了一套相對完整的銷售和教育體系。絲綢特色街、絲綢時尚節(jié)、絲綢旗袍秀等一系列絲綢文化活動，逐漸成為杭州絲綢業(yè)對外的一扇窗口。

此外，瓷器和茶葉也是經(jīng)杭州地區(qū)外銷的大宗代表性物品。宋代是傳統(tǒng)制瓷工藝發(fā)展史上一個非常繁榮的時期。杭州的官窯在南宋時期工藝水平極高，專供宮廷御用，民間一般無法得見。

越窯是中國古代南方著名的青瓷窯，生產(chǎn)年代自東漢至宋。唐朝是越窯工藝最精湛時期，居全國之冠。因此，越窯一般是指坐落在唐代天寶年間越州轄區(qū)（會稽山陰、諸暨、余姚、剡縣、蕭山、上虞七縣）內的窯場。進入10世紀后，越窯所產(chǎn)瓷器超過其他地方，一躍成為最重要的主流產(chǎn)品。井里汶沉船中出水的49萬多件片器物中，中國瓷器占了75%，約36.7萬余件，而其中越窯青瓷器數(shù)就超過了30萬件。阿曼的蘇哈爾則出土了屬于十世紀初的越窯青瓷。在伊拉克底格里斯河畔的薩馬臘遺址也發(fā)現(xiàn)了九世紀至十世紀的越州窯瓷和白瓷碗碎片。波斯灣古港西拉夫也出土過九世紀、十世紀的青瓷。

茶葉外銷則集中于清代和民國時期，從浙江運到廣州外銷的龍井茶，曾一度被貫以“一種非常昂貴的最上等茶葉”的名號。

據(jù)傳，最早來杭交流者是西印度人慧理，于東晉咸和（326年2月～334年）初年由中原云游入浙?！短祗蒙街尽酚涊d，他行至杭州某山中，見有一峰怪石嵯峨、風景絕異，喟而嘆曰，“此乃中天竺國靈鷲山一小嶺，不知何代飛來？佛在世日，多為仙靈所隱”，因此稱為“飛來峰”。遂于峰后建寺，是為佛教傳入杭州之始。

另一位較早來杭的外國人歐曼本 · 阿法尼，據(jù)說是埃及建筑大師。唐武德年間（618年—626年），來杭經(jīng)商的他在今羊壩頭附近出資建寺，這便是杭州鳳凰寺的由來。根據(jù)《杭州府志》記載，在唐貞觀年間，杭州的珠寶巷、弼教坊一帶住有很多從波斯、埃及等地來做珠寶生意的商人。

日本在大化改新（日本社會政治變革運動）之后，天皇開始以遣唐使的形式全方位向唐朝學習。他們學習唐代文化，如飲食服飾、雕刻建筑、音樂美術、社會習俗、典章制度、釋道儒學等。其中有很多人來過杭州，將中國的茶葉及茶文化源源不斷地向日本輸出。

作為“一帶一路”和“網(wǎng)上絲綢之路”（主要指eWTP杭州實驗區(qū)）重要樞紐城市，杭州正積極推進與“一帶一路”沿線國家的合作交流，積極打造“海外杭州平臺”，“開拓國際市場、穩(wěn)定外貿(mào)增長”，推動更多杭州企業(yè)“走出去”。

“未來期待可以開通更多的航線，從杭州到巴黎再到歐洲其他城市?！狈▏就粮叨死俳z企業(yè)Desseilles總經(jīng)理Michel Berrier迫切希望借助“一帶一路”釋放的政策紅利進入中國市場。這家去年剛被杭州蕭山紡織企業(yè)永盛集團收購的法國企業(yè)，如今正煥發(fā)新的活力。

大華股份法國子公司目前的業(yè)務范圍也已經(jīng)由巴黎、馬賽、里昂、波爾多等一級城市輻射整個法國市場。千島湖啤酒海外業(yè)務已經(jīng)遍及新加坡、馬來西亞、韓國、美國、加拿大、澳大利亞、英國、法國、俄羅斯、丹麥、越南等16個國家。

據(jù)杭州市統(tǒng)計局公布，2020年杭州對“一帶一路”沿線國家出口1170億元，占出口總額31.7%。全年跨境電商進出口總額1084.2億元，增長13.9%。其中出口756.8億元、進口327.4億元，分別增長14.9%和11.6%。

寧波：從古至今的華麗蛻變

在世界制圖史上，曾經(jīng)有一張地圖，被稱為“中世紀最好、最豐富完備的一幅世界地圖”。在這張叫作《1375年加泰羅尼亞地圖》的地圖上，一個稱為“MINGIO”（明州）的地名，被標注在突出的位置。

明州即寧波，春秋時為越國地，戰(zhàn)國中期以后為楚國轄地。寧波江北區(qū)的勾章港遺址，見證了春秋戰(zhàn)國時期港城的興起。三江地區(qū)的江海相通，匯聚出商業(yè)的興盛，也孕育出漢代時城市的繁榮。

唐開元二十六年，即公元738年，寧波正式建制，以境內的四明山而得名——“明州”。明州港的貿(mào)易關系遍及日韓、東南亞和阿拉伯等國。其中，尤以與日本的交流最為密切。當時的寧波，是日本乃至歐洲最熟悉的中國地名之一，“一部日本航海史，半部在寧波”，說的就是這個意思。

據(jù)統(tǒng)計，從公元630年到公元894年前后這260多年間，日本共派出遣唐使19次，實際到達13次，其中有3次是在明州登的岸。唐貞元二十年，即公元804年，日本僧人最澄所在的遣唐使團抵達明州，這也是日本遣唐使第二次登陸明州，并從明州到天臺山學佛。第二年，最澄回國后，便創(chuàng)建了日本天臺宗，成為日本佛教的始祖。同時帶回去的，還有浙東的茶種和茶道。這是中國向海外輸出茶葉的最早記錄。

至今依然矗立的天封塔、高麗使館遺址、市舶司遺址等，一一見證了這一時期寧波港對外交往的盛況。宋代時，天童寺與阿育王寺同列禪宗“五山十剎”，成為名揚海內外的禪宗名剎，因此阿育王寺、天童寺等佛教建筑也充分顯示了寧波在與海外文化交流中的重要地位。

明洪武十四年，即公元1381年，因“明州”的“明”與國號相同，朱元璋遂取“海定則波寧”之意，改“明州”為“寧波”，地圖上終于第一次有了“寧波”這個名字。

1840年，中英鴉片戰(zhàn)爭爆發(fā)，寧波正是鴉片戰(zhàn)爭的主戰(zhàn)場之一。1842年8月，清朝政府被迫與英國簽訂《南京條約》。根據(jù)這份條約，清政府同意開放廣州、福州、廈門、寧波、上海五個城市作為通商口岸。

寧波正式開埠之后不久，西方貨輪便幾乎壟斷了寧波港的貿(mào)易，西方人紛紛來此開設工廠，先進西方工業(yè)使寧波的本土經(jīng)濟日趨蕭條。寧波人不得不選擇背井離鄉(xiāng)，游走四方，去尋找新的生機。那時形成了兩股潮流，一些寧波人去往海外，而更多的人則選擇了上海作為他們創(chuàng)業(yè)的新天地。

然而，時光荏苒，滄海桑田，今天為寧波這片寧靜的故土書寫輝煌的，正是那時被迫離家、遠走四方的寧波人。憑著勤勞和智慧，寧波商人在中國商界成就了輝煌的事業(yè)，離家的游子終于衣錦還鄉(xiāng)。當代海內外寧波人如邵逸夫、包玉剛、李達三等，更是愛國愛鄉(xiāng)、報效桑梓的典范。他們身上鐫刻著港口文化的基因密碼，他們的言行映襯著這片土地所具有的開放格局、大氣胸懷和包容心態(tài)。

今天，寧波提出了全新的城宣口號：書藏古今，港通天下?！皶毓沤瘛痹⒁鈱幉v史悠久、文化厚重，是一座書香之城和文化之城;“港通天下”直指寧波舟山港將世界上近200多個國家、600多個港口緊緊相連，通達四?！，F(xiàn)在寧波正積極開發(fā)海絲之路文化旅游帶，集聚形成“名城、名鎮(zhèn)、名村、名街、名居”+“大港、大佛、大儒、大海、大山”的“五大五名”旅游目的地體系。從船只往來如鯽到“數(shù)字絲路”揚帆，從攜手中東歐到強化港口“輻射圈”，從打造“一帶一路”先行示范區(qū)到創(chuàng)建國家級綜合試驗區(qū)……寧波從頂層設計到形成共識，全面展現(xiàn)了“一帶一路”建設的高質量版本。

溫州：“走出去”是一種歷史慣性

在溫州博物館二樓歷史廳的顯眼位置，陳列著一件30多年前出土的鎮(zhèn)館之寶——北宋甌窯青釉褐彩蕨草紋執(zhí)壺。整個器型呈現(xiàn)出一種古波斯銀器的造型特征，也因為這點，曾讓不少人一度猜測其并非出自甌窯。

專家推測，這件執(zhí)壺的主人很可能是來自中亞某國的商人，他們通過古代“海上絲綢之路”來到當時的溫州，并定制了這樣一款甌窯質地的寶壺，但是因為各種原因，商人最終沒有帶走它，而是將其留在了溫州。

小小的執(zhí)壺，構成了溫州對外交流和貿(mào)易歷史畫卷中的一角，也成為“海上絲綢之路”中外文化交流的重要見證物。

作為一座有著2200多年建城史的歷史文化名城，溫州一路創(chuàng)造了燦爛的港口城市文明：戰(zhàn)國時期，溫州已成為見諸史籍的中國沿海九大港口之一;三國時期，溫州為東吳三大造船基地之一;唐宋時期，隨著“海上絲綢之路”的興盛，溫州港口城市的重要性愈發(fā)凸顯，比如青瓷、漆器、絲綢和印刷品已源源不斷地從這里銷往海外，同時吸引了來自世界各地的商人聚集溫州。

甌江流域制陶業(yè)源遠流長。甌江的甌，古時即指陶器。甌人善于制陶，甌江也因此得名。甌窯和龍泉窯瓷器，是溫州經(jīng)“海上絲綢之路”輸出的重要商品。1875年，溫州重新被開辟為通商口岸，并與日本、新加坡、蘇門答臘、檳城和我國等地建立起直接的貿(mào)易關系。

身處“海上絲綢之路”的重要節(jié)點，“走出去”是溫州人的歷史慣性：溫州有近70萬人分布在世界130多個國家和地區(qū)，其中，有38萬就云集在“一帶一路”沿線57個國家和地區(qū)。他們的經(jīng)商創(chuàng)業(yè)行為，在完成積累資本、融合文化的同時，也構建起了較為完善的營銷網(wǎng)絡、信息網(wǎng)絡和鄉(xiāng)情資源。

溫州有聯(lián)結全球的網(wǎng)絡優(yōu)勢，目前在“一帶一路”沿線國家和地區(qū)有135個溫籍僑團、70多家海外投資促進聯(lián)絡處，架起了一座座聯(lián)通沿線國家和地區(qū)的橋梁;溫州有遍布天下的溫商優(yōu)勢，許多知名溫商、僑領成為促進中外友好交流合作的使者;溫州有充滿活力的商會優(yōu)勢，擁有較大影響力的溫州市中非商會等，都成為了推動合作雙方共同發(fā)展的紐帶。

在聚焦“一帶一路”沿線投資建廠方面，溫州的民營企業(yè)也始終扮演著排頭兵的角色。通過加快“走出去”步伐，溫州在積極搶抓“一帶一路”機遇的前提下，不僅實現(xiàn)了從產(chǎn)品“走出去”到企業(yè)“走出去”，以及從嘗試性“走出去”到規(guī)模化“走出去”的轉變，更從最初的設立貿(mào)易機構到境外辦市場，從境外投資辦廠到建設境外經(jīng)貿(mào)合作區(qū)，再從境外資源開發(fā)利用全產(chǎn)業(yè)鏈布局向本土跨國公司成長，在對外投資方面形成了多種形式并舉的格局。

目前，溫州擁有6個境外經(jīng)貿(mào)合作區(qū)，國家級園區(qū)數(shù)量居全國地級市之首，它們是溫州參與“一帶一路”建設的亮點。其中，國家級園區(qū)3家，包括俄羅斯康吉工業(yè)園、越南龍江工業(yè)園、烏茲別克斯坦鵬盛工業(yè)園;省級園區(qū)3家，為塞爾維亞商貿(mào)物流園、烏茲別克斯坦農(nóng)林科技產(chǎn)業(yè)園;以及2019年上半年新建的印尼緯達貝工業(yè)園。這6家境外園區(qū)均布局于“一帶一路”沿線，規(guī)劃面積超12平方公里，入駐企業(yè)238家，其中溫企26家，帶動當?shù)囟愂?.7億美元，主要涉及紡織、制鞋、機械、建材、五金、電子、不銹鋼、寵物制品、木材加工等行業(yè)。

舟山：海天佛國 蒼龍臥海

1979年，考古工作者在舟山市定海區(qū)馬岙鎮(zhèn)這個濱海的山丘平原地帶，發(fā)現(xiàn)了面積達14萬平方米的古文化遺址群，出土了大量的印紋硬陶，而在馬岙“洋坦墩”出土的夾砂紅陶碎片上，更是發(fā)現(xiàn)了稻谷痕跡?？脊艑＜覔?jù)此認為，這里就是舟山先輩最早的集居之地，他們在5000年前就開始大量栽種水稻。

春秋時，舟山屬越國，稱“甬東”，又喻稱“海中洲”;秦朝，徐福奉命在東南沿海的蓬萊、方丈、瀛洲三島尋找長生不老藥，歷盡艱辛來到煙霧縹緲的舟山群島，認定境內的岱山島為“蓬萊仙島”。唐開元二十六年（公元738年）舟山置縣，歸屬明州。自彼時起，舟山海上貿(mào)易日趨繁榮，并逐漸興起成為外貿(mào)的重要商埠和“海上絲綢之路”的重要通道。

作為自古以來中國的東大門，舟山是古代對外開放港口明州港通往高麗、日本等國的必經(jīng)航道。這條航道早在唐代中期已經(jīng)形成，并使得舟山的命運，與“海上絲綢之路”血脈相連。隨著中國經(jīng)濟重心南移，“海上絲綢之路”的發(fā)展也達到了前所未有的高峰。

16世紀中葉，葡萄牙等歐洲殖民主義勢力東侵，當時的雙嶼港地區(qū)（舟山市普陀區(qū)六橫島中間），成為亞、非、歐諸國商人云集的繁華商港，常住外商3000余人，成為事實上的“自由港”。

千百年來，這里百舸爭流，貢艘浮云。來自美洲、歐洲、日本的白銀源源不斷地運到這里，以換取中國的絲綢、瓷器等商品，堪稱當時全球性的貿(mào)易中心。徐福東渡、鑒真東渡、遣唐使往來、鄭和下西洋都曾經(jīng)將舟山作為始發(fā)站或中轉站。

今天的舟山，是中國最大的群島，也是第一個以群島建制的地級市。東海之濱，天闊潮平。1390個島嶼，3000多處海礁如顆顆溫潤的珍珠，撒落在浩瀚無垠的大海中。碧波萬頃，千島環(huán)翠，似一軸山海長卷，讓人看到了大處留白的綿綿意韻。

前人曾說：“普陀山有室皆寺，有人皆僧?！泵鞔烊绾惨苍鵀槠胀幼髟娫唬骸吧疆斍幗圆厮?，路欲窮時又遇僧?！弊鳛橛^音道場，普陀最為人熟知的大概就是島上的南海觀音像了。這座觀音銅像總高33米，其中臺基高13米，銅像高18米，蓮花座為2米，重70多噸，是世界上最大的銅制觀音像。

海天佛國，蒼龍臥海，最終造就的是舟山人山容海納的處世精神。

在建設“21 世紀海上絲綢之路”的大背景下，舟山海島旅游得到了快速發(fā)展。以佛教文化、海島旅游為重點的旅游產(chǎn)業(yè)，已成為舟山經(jīng)濟的支柱產(chǎn)業(yè)。亞太旅游協(xié)會、歐洲小島嶼聯(lián)盟分別與舟山市政府簽訂了《國際海島旅游戰(zhàn)略合作協(xié)議》;2019年國際海島旅游大會共吸引了25個國家和地區(qū)代表團、近千名中外專業(yè)嘉賓參會。會議期間，有超過20個涉及海島及文旅等領域的項目簽訂合作框架協(xié)議和正式投資協(xié)議等，項目總投資約495.57億元人民幣。

隨著國際海島旅游大會知名度的提高，有越來越多的人在舟山“筑巢”，用特色海島民宿的方式實現(xiàn)面朝大海的夢想。嵊泗的枸杞島、花鳥島，普陀的白沙島、東極島，朱家尖島，已成為民宿優(yōu)選地。多達918家特色民宿，漁家客棧、主題民宿、生態(tài)民宿等多種形式的豐富業(yè)態(tài)，讓這片蔚藍海域燃起了星星之火。

近年來，舟山圍繞“海島、生態(tài)、海鮮、漁村、民俗文化、佛教文化”等特色資源，打造海島民宿、運動健康、海鮮美食、漁家風情、特色文化旅游等六大特色休閑度假旅游產(chǎn)品，形成多元化的浙江海洋旅游產(chǎn)品體系。

舟山悠久的海洋文化歷史，見證了舟山人民幾千年來開發(fā)和建設舟山群島的輝煌歷程，凝聚著舟山民眾開發(fā)海島的熱血和汗水，積淀著舟山人民利用海洋資源的智慧和經(jīng)驗，表現(xiàn)了海洋文化所蘊含的傳統(tǒng)觀念、審美情趣、思維方式等特有的文化內涵。

無論是站在國家戰(zhàn)略層面還是從浙江新一輪發(fā)展的角度上，千島之地舟山都處在極其重要的位置。它是“一帶一路”上的新門戶城市，也是浙江經(jīng)略海洋、走向深藍的重要序章。站在新“絲路”起點上的舟山，必將延續(xù)輝煌的歷史，向著世界文化交流中心邁進。

義烏：“小城大事”好風光

說起義烏商貿(mào)的起源，跟大家熟悉的義烏兵還有些關系。

據(jù)說，明朝時追隨戚繼光南征北戰(zhàn)的義烏兵，其中一部分人在戰(zhàn)后回到了家鄉(xiāng)。義烏人多地少，土地貧瘠，而這些義烏兵不諳農(nóng)事，卻善于游走，于是他們就肩挑糖擔，手搖撥浪鼓，走街串巷，用本地出產(chǎn)的紅糖餅，換取雞、鴨、鵝毛和廢銅爛鐵獲取微利，這就是有名的義烏商人“雞毛換糖”的歷史來源。

改革開放40多年來，以國際商貿(mào)城為主體的第五代義烏小商品市場開放建成。義烏人協(xié)同作戰(zhàn)、族群團結的文化積淀，讓義烏的小商品市場一步步從“馬路市場”發(fā)展為名副其實的“世界超市”。他們用雞毛換糖的精神，把一個貧困的農(nóng)業(yè)縣變成了世界小商品之都。

作為一個縣級市，義烏的開放包容讓人印象深刻。這里有各類涉外機構6800多家，其中外商投資辦企業(yè)2500多家，約占全國的75%。

作為首批來到義烏經(jīng)商的非洲人，希拉常說，當年我看到了義烏遠大的前景，如今我也見證著義烏的奇跡。2002年，希拉在義烏開設了公司，那時，希拉公司的不少客人不知道這個小城市，不相信這里能夠采購到物美價廉的商品。

此后，希拉公司的固定客戶很快就達到了100多位，外貿(mào)生意遍布非洲各個國家。2008年，他更是在上海成立了進出口公司，將義烏的商品銷往肯尼亞、東非等更多非洲國家和地區(qū)。這幾年，為了適應新的經(jīng)濟形式勢，希拉與一些企業(yè)合作，在非洲加納建立了海外倉，并積極籌備科特迪瓦的海外倉，轉型升級，更好地服務客戶。

在義烏，數(shù)以萬計的非洲商人，懷揣淘金夢而來，在義烏這片創(chuàng)業(yè)創(chuàng)新的熱土上拼搏，將自己的夢想與中國夢緊緊聯(lián)系在一起。據(jù)2018年統(tǒng)計數(shù)據(jù)顯示，義烏有來自非洲50多個國家和地區(qū)的2500多名常住外商，以及每年9.5萬多人次的入境非洲客商，他們在經(jīng)商的同時，也將義烏這張貿(mào)易金名片發(fā)往非洲各地。

在義烏，這些外商被稱為“新義烏人”，他們來自不同的國家，有著不同的膚色，但相同的是，義烏是他們實現(xiàn)夢想的地方。在感嘆中國大地發(fā)生巨變的同時，他們更慶幸自己搭上了中國發(fā)展的快車。

義烏已繪制了更美好的藍圖，三大新區(qū)——絲路新區(qū)、陸港新區(qū)和科創(chuàng)新區(qū)崛地而起。絲路新區(qū)，帶著建設國際貿(mào)易轉型升級高地和對外交流合作平臺的使命，將成為義烏的“城市芯，萬國城”。這座國際化商貿(mào)城市，將以日新月異的卓越身姿，領航在東方新絲綢之路的新起點上。

公路、鐵路、海路、航空、郵路、網(wǎng)路、義新歐、義甬舟的物流體系，在義烏被稱為“新八路”。向西，借著“絲綢之路”出境;向東，借“海上絲綢之路”出洋;線上，借“網(wǎng)上絲綢之路”搶單，在地理和觀念上與世界接軌的義烏，不僅正在加速貿(mào)易互通，更是促進了“一帶一路”沿線國家之間的溝通和聯(lián)系。

2014年12月，首趟“義烏—馬德里”中歐班列鳴笛出征，在古老的絲綢之路上，揮出一條氣勢如虹的黃金弧線，這是馳騁在北半球的兩萬六千里新長征，這條鋼鐵“絲帶”橫跨了整個亞歐大陸，創(chuàng)造了“從太平洋直到大西洋”的互聯(lián)互通，延伸的鐵軌猶如杠桿，撬動頗具前途的洲際合作、激發(fā)富有潛力的融合方案、滋養(yǎng)飽有活力的沿線經(jīng)濟。

Expeditions that Han dynasty （202 BC-220 AD） diplomat Zhang Qian （ca. 164-114 BC） took 2，100 years ago eventually helped establish what was later known as the “Silk Road”， which， like a bridge， connects trade between Asia and Europe and integrates the Eastern and Western cultures.

From Chinas coastal cities like Guangzhou， Quanzhou， Ningbo and Yangzhou， via Southeast Asia and the Arab Sea， to the east coast of the African continent， the “Maritime Silk Road”， best known for the expeditions of Ming （1368-1644） explorer Zheng He （1371？-1433？）， has been facilitating cultural and economic exchanges between China and other regions of the world since the Qin （221-207 BC） and Han periods.

Fast forward to the present day， the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road （the Belt and Road Initiative） are now driving global economic development through building connectivity and cooperation， stimulating potential and providing development opportunities.

As an important part of the ancient Silk Road， in particular the Maritime Silk Road， cities in Zhejiang like Hangzhou， Ningbo， Wenzhou and Yiwu are witnessing the flourishing of ancient Chinese wisdom under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Hangzhou： Silk Industrys Window to the World

“Coming to Hangzhou from a thousand miles away， half is for the West Lake and half for silk，” as a popular saying goes. Since the Three Kingdoms period， Hangzhou has already been one of the largest ports in China. In the Southern Song dynasty （1127-1279）， it became a major port of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Silk， tea and porcelain， the three items that may best showcase traditional China， can all be found in Hangzhou.

In Southern Song， Hangzhous sericulture technology made great progress. According to Annals of Linan during the Reign of Xianchun， at that time， over a dozen types of silks were produced in Hangzhou， including satin， fabric yarn， cotton， still silk， among others.

Hangzhous silk industry went through mechanization during the Republican period， and silk production equipment and technologies saw historic transformation. The quality of silk products was significantly improved， and silk designs and colors grew ever more diverse. A number of silk enterprises and shops that later became famous brands were born at this time， and a corresponding sales and education system for silk was established. Later， silk streets， silk cultural activities such as silk fashion festivals and silk cheongsam shows have gradually become a window for Hangzhous silk industry.

Apart from silk， porcelain and tea are also exported in bulk from Hangzhou. In the 10th century， Yue porcelain wares surpassed those from elsewhere and became the most important ceramic product. Among over 490，000 pieces of porcelain wares found in the Cirebon shipwreck， Chinese ceramics accounted for 75%， or about 367，000 pieces， while the number of Yue celadon exceeded 300，000 pieces. In Sohar， Oman， Yue celadon from the early 10th century was unearthed， and fragments of Yue porcelain from about the same period have also been found along the Tigris River in Iraq as well as Siraf， an ancient port in the Persian Gulf.

Later， the Song dynasty saw the booming development of traditional porcelain manufacturing. The ceramic craftsmanship at official kilns reached its zenith in Southern Song， and they produced porcelain exclusively for the imperial court.

Unlike silk and porcelain， it wasnt until the Qing （1616-1911） and the Republican periods that tea began to be exported in bulk. Hangzhous Longjing tea， also known as the Dragon Well tea， was notable for being “a very expensive and top-class tea”.

As an important hub along the Belt and Road and the “Online Silk Road”， Hangzhou is actively promoting cooperation and exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road， building Hangzhou platforms overseas， exploring international market and pushing for the steady growth of foreign trade， so that more Hangzhou companies can “go abroad”.

Ningbo： A Blend of Tradition and Modernity

On Catalan Atlas， a world map drawn in 1375 and considered the best and most detailed representation of the known world in the middle ages， the name “MINGIO” was marked prominently on a place.

MINGIO or Mingzhou was the ancient name of Ningbo city， which was part of the State of Yue （2031-222 BC） during the Spring and Autumn period （770-476 BC） and then was controlled by the State of Chu （？-223 BC） during the Warring States period （475-221 BC）.

In the year 738 during the Tang dynasty （618-907）， Ningbo was formally established as a prefecture and was named Mingzhou after the Siming Mountain within the area. By then， cultural and economic exchanges by way of Mingzhou Port had already been quite developed， and a trade network that extended to East Asia， Southeast Asia and the Arab countries was formed. In particularly， Mingzhou had built close relations with Japan. Indeed， the name Mingzhou was one of the Chinese place names that Japanese people were most familiar with at the time. It is even said that half of the Japans maritime history could be found in Ningbo.

Statistics show that of the 19 Japanese missions to Tang （13 missions successfully made it） between 630 and 849， 3 landed in China via Mingzhou， the second of which was in 804， when the Japanese monk Saicho （767-822） joined the embassy. After returning to Japan， he founded the Tendai school of Buddhism based on Chinas Tiantai school he was exposed to during the trip. He is also believed to have brought Mingzhou tea seeds and tea-making ceremony to Japan， the first recorded export of tea from China to a foreign country.

In 1381， Mingzhous name was changed to Ningbo， which means “calm waves”， by Zhu Yuanzhang （1328-1398）， the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty， as it shared the same Chinese character as the dynastic title.

Roughly five centuries later， the first Opium War broke out in 1840 between China and Britain. As one of the main battlegrounds， Ningbo suffered and was captured. In August 1842， the Qing government as forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing with Britain， and five ports， namely Guangzhou， Fuzhou， Xiamen， Ningbo and Shanghai， were opened for trade.

Shortly afterwards， with the influx of foreign industries and the eventual monopoly of the economy by Western powers， local people in Ningbo had no choice but to seek a living abroad or start businesses in Shanghai.

Nowadays， Ningbo is developing a maritime tourist route so that visitors can fully enjoy its rich history and culture， and with the China-Central and Eastern European Countries Expo helping its investment and trade， Ningbo is living up to the reputation as a historical and cultural city that connects with over 200 countries and 600 ports throughout the world.

Wenzhou： “Going Out” Is in the Genes

Among the items displayed in the history hall of Wenzhou Museum is a treasure unearthed more than 30 years ago—a green-glazed ewer with fern grass pattern dating to the Northern Song dynasty （960-1127）. As the shape of ewer resembles Persian silverware， many initially thought it was not from the ancient Ou kiln.

Experts believed the owner of the ewer was most probably a merchant from Central Asia who came to Wenzhou via the ancient Maritime Silk Road and ordered a custom-made pot from an Ou kiln. However， for various reasons， the merchant didnt take it and left it in Wenzhou.

Although small， the ewer is part of Wenzhous history in international trade and communication， and an important testimony to the cultural exchanges between China and the West along the Maritime Silk Road.

As a port city， Wenzhou has a history of more than 2，200 years. In the Warring States period， Wenzhou was already one of the nine important coastal ports in various historical records and documents. During the Three Kingdoms period （220-280）， Wenzhou was one of the three shipbuilding bases for the State of Eastern Wu （222-280）. In the Tang and Song dynasties， thanks to the Maritime Silk Road， Wenzhous export of celadon， lacquer ware， silk and printed matters grew rapidly， and merchants from all over the world were attracted to the city as well.

As an important port along the Maritime Silk Road， Wenzhou has been well known for its adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit， and “going out” has been in the genes of Wenzhou people. At present， there are about 700，000 people from Wenzhou who live in more than 130 countries and regions across the globe， of whom roughly 380，000 live in 57 countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Apart from accumulating capital， their business and entrepreneurial activities have helped integrate Chinese and local cultures， and build a comprehensive network of marketing， information and local resources.

At present， people of Wenzhou origin have set up 135 overseas Chinese organizations， and the city has established more than 70 overseas investment promotion liaison offices along the Belt and Road countries and regions. Indeed， with such a vast global network， Wenzhou merchants can be found everywhere in the world and many well-known Wenzhou merchants have become “ambassadors”， promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries. Moreover， Wenzhou boasts quite a number of dynamic chambers of commerce. For example， the influential Sino-African Chamber of Commerce in Wenzhou has become a crucial link in promoting the common development of both sides.of both sides.

Zhoushan： Island of Buddhism and Global Trade Hub

In 1979， a set of ancient ruins covering an area of 140，000 square meters was unearthed by archaeologists in Maao township， Dinghai district， Zhoushan city. Not only were a large number of red pottery shards unearthed， traces of rice were also found. Archaeologists believed this area is the earliest place where the ancestors of Zhoushan people gathered， and they began to cultivate rice as early as 5，000 years ago.

Part of the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period， Zhoushan was known as Haizhongzhou， or “Island in the Ocean”. During the Qin dynasty， Xu Fu （？-？）， who tasked by Qin Shi Huang （259-210 BC） to seek the elixir of immortality， reached Zhoushan， and believed its Daishan Island to be the legendary “Island of Immortals”. In the year 738， Zhoushan was set up as a county， under the administration of Mingzhou （present-day Ningbo）. Since then， Zhoushans maritime trade has grown from strength to strength， and Zhoushan has become one of the most important ports along the Maritime Silk Road.

For over a thousand years， countless ships， boats， barges…came and went from Zhoushan， bringing mountains of silver from places including Americas， Europe and Japan， in exchange for Chinas silk， porcelain， tea and various other goods and products. A de facto global trading hub， Zhoushan was either the starting point or a crucial transfer stop for Xu Fus mission to seek the elixir of immortality， for monk Jianzhens （688-763） travels to Japan， for the Japanese missions to come to Tang， and for Zheng Hes expeditions.

As Chinas largest archipelago， Zhoushan is the first archipelagic prefecture-level city， whose 1，390 islands and over 3，000 reefs dotting the East China Sea like pearls. It is also home to Putuo Mountain， one of Chinas “Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism”.

“Where there are rooms， there are temples; where there are people， there are monks，” people thus said of Putuo Mountain. “Around corners unclear， temples are secretly hidden; at a seemingly the paths seem to end， monks appear all of a sudden，” a Ming poem concurred in its depiction of the mountain. Putuo Mountain is now perhaps best known for the giant statue of the Buddhist deity Guanyin of the Southern Seas. Measuring 33 meters high and weighing more than 70 tons， it is the worlds largest bronze statue of Guanyin.

Thanks to the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road”， Zhoushans tourism has witnessed rapid growth. Focused on Buddhist culture and island travelling， tourism industry is now a major contributor to Zhoushans economy. For example， the 2019 International Islands Tourism Conference brought roughly 1，000 delegates from 25 countries and regions to Zhoushan， attracting an investment of 49.557 billion yuan.

Now， with the prospering of family-run hotels and a host of tourist products featuring its unique maritime resources and Buddhist culture， Zhoushan is developing into a new “gateway” for the Belt and Road.

Yiwu： Small City， High Aspirations

Trade in Yiwu is believed to have started with Yiwu soldiers. It is said that some of these soldiers， who fought alongside Qi Jiguang （1528-1588）， a Ming dynasty general， returned home after the Japanese pirates were repelled. As Yiwu had little land to support its population， let alone these returned soldiers， they had to sell goods as peddlers， akin to todays travelling salesmen. Rattle drums swigging， they went from street to street， selling brown sugar cakes， a popular local snack， for chickens， ducks， goose feathers and scrap copper and iron， and to earn whatever profit there was. This is how the “sugar for chicken feathers” tradition started.

Now， Yiwu has quickly become a world-renowned international trade city. From a street market to a veritable “world supermarket”， Yiwus small commodity market has witnessed transformative development， thanks to the cooperation and unity among Yiwu people. The spirit of “sugar for chicken feathers” has helped turn Yiwu from a poor agricultural county into the “capital” of worlds small commodities.

A county-level city， Yiwu is impressive in its openness and inclusiveness： there are more than 6，800 foreign-related institutions， of which more than 2，500 are foreign-invested partnerships， accounting for 75 percent of Chinas total.

As one of the first Africans to come to Yiwu to do business， Cheickina Sylla opened his company in 2002. While his customers initially knew nothing about the city， Sylla saw great potential in Yiwu back then， and he is proved to be prescient. Now his company is trading with every African country.

In Yiwu， tens of thousands of African traders like Sylla are starting their business and realizing their dreams. According to statistics， there are currently 2，500-odd businessmen from over 50 African countries and regions with permanent residence in Yiwu and African traders make 95，000 entries every year into Yiwu. These foreign businessmen are called the “new Yiwu people”. While they come from different countries and have different skin colors， they all have something in common： Yiwu is the place where their dreams come true.

Yiwu has drawn a blueprint for a better future. Three new areas—the Silk Road New Area， the Inland Port New Area and the Science and Technology Innovation New Area—will be established. A logistics network encompassing road， railway， sea， air， postal services and the internet are stimulating trade and promoting communication and exchanges between countries along the Belt and Road.