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The Silk Road is an invaluable common asset in the history of humanity. It embodies peaceful communication, exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and the spirit of cooperation, For centuries, the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit has been passed down through generations and advanced the progress of human civilizations.
Based on rich historical records from multiple disciplines, this book examines the Silk Road as part of global civilizations. It covers topics such as the origin, development and legendary figures of the Silk Road; the hubs and the economic, trade and cultural communication along the Silk Road; and the development of the Silk Road in the new era. It reviews the histories of the Silk Road. the development of human civilization, and the cultural communication between East and West. It echoes the Belt and Road Initiative and contributes Chinese wisdom and strength to carrying forward the Silk Road spirit and promoting the sustained and prosperous development of human civilization.

Abstract
《丝绸之路简史》: As his fleet neared the southern tip of the African continent, they were blown off course by a fierce storm, with towering waves nearly engulfing them. After enduring a dozen harrowing days, Dias altered his course, steering eastward and then northward, eventually anchoring at Mossel Bay in South Africa. There, they observed the sun rising to their right, confirming that they had entered the Indian Ocean. This discovery effectively pioneered a sea route around the southern tip of Africa to India. On their return journey, while navigating the wild and tumultuous waters of Africa's southernmost point, Dias encountered fierce winds and vile weather, thus dubbing this perilous point the Cape of Storms. Upon his return to Portugal, the king, after hearing Dias's report, suggested renaming it the Cape of Good Hope, for its hopeful implications of a new route to India. The term "India", as it was known by Europeans at that time, encompassed both South Asia and East Asia. It symbolized the allure and promise of wealth from the East. Ten years after Dias' trip to what became known as the Cape of Good Hope, the Portuguese government organized a fleet for a maritime expedition led by the navigator da Gama (1460-1524). Their mission was to chart a route from Portugal around Africa to India. On July 8, 1497, da Gama set sail from the capital Lisbon with a fleet of four small ships carrying over 170 s:ulors. Tracing Dias' route, da Gama navigated eastward through intricate passages and by January 1498, reached the maritime realms of Mozambique in southeast Africa. This voyage marked the first documented oceanic expedition directly crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean in recorded history Continuing northward against strong Mozambique currents around the mouth of the Zambezi River in central Africa, the fleet arrived at the shores of Malindi on the East African coast on April 14, where da Gama sought guidance from an Arab navigator. Guided by this seasoned steersman, the Portuguese fleet departed from Malindi on April 24, using the southwest monsoon winds prevailing during the first half of the year in the Indian Ocean. This advantage propelled it directly toward the Indian coastline. On May 28, 1498, da Gama's fleet reached the bustling port city of Calicut on the southwestern coast of India, anchoring in a nearby harbor. Interestingly, this harbor was the same location where, more than half a century earlier, the Chinese navigator Zheng He had also docked his vessels. The coveted India sought by Europeans was finally mapped out, marking the unveiling of the new Maritime Silk Road to the East. Following da Gama's successful voyage in 1498, the Cape of Good Hope became a regular route for Portuguese vessels traveling to the East. These journeys returned laden with precious goods such as spices, silk and jewels. The Portuguese also asserted their dominance over territories, such as Ceylon, Sumatra, Java and the Maluku Islands, reputed as the "Spice Islands". In subsequent years, Portuguese explorers expanded their reach further eastward. They arrived in Guangzhou in 1517, and made their foray into Japan in 1542. ……

About the Author
Wu Bin, is a scholar and researcher of history and culture. He is a Changqing Scholar at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and a distinguished professor at BFSU's Academy of International Communication of Chinese Culture. He has also served as the deputy director of the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, the curator of the Shenyang Palace Museum and the deputy head of the Chinese Society for Historians of China's Foreign Relations. His research interest lies in the histories of Chinese culture and the cultural exchange between China and other countries. He has published over 10 works, including The Power of Civilization, A New History of Overseas Dissemination of Chinese Culture (six volumes), The History of Overseas Culture for Chinese Acceptance (four volumes), Confucius' World: The World Value of Confucian Culture and China and the World: The Chinese Paradigm of Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations.