地球是太阳系中唯一被海水裹着的星体,人类居住的陆地只不过是这个蓝色“水球”表面的一些孤岛。人类的起源、生存和发展无不依赖于海洋。文明古老的中国,频临大洋,有着漫长曲折的海岸,曾是世界上航海最发达的国家,为促进世界大航海地理大发现时代的到来、催化人类文明的发展,作出了不可磨灭的贡献。早在远古时期,勤劳的中国人民,在实践中悟出“观落叶浮,因此为舟”道理,进而“刳木为舟,剡木为楫”,产生了原始的造船业。殷商的甲骨文就载有“舟”字,开创了世界上最古老的航海事业。纪元前的春秋战国时期,中国沿海的航海事业已相当活跃,隋唐时期已有繁盛的海上交通,中国船只已越过印度洋,到达波斯湾。据著名科学史学者李约瑟考证:“在1100～ The Earth is the only planet in the solar system that is surrounded by seawater, and human habitation land is but a few isolated islands on the surface of this blue “water polo.” The origin, survival and development of mankind are all dependent on the sea. Civilized and ancient China, with its long and winding coastline, was once the most developed country in navigation in the world. It has made an indelible contribution to the promotion of the discovery of an era of great marine geography in the world and to the development of human civilization. As early as in ancient times, the industrious Chinese people realized in practice the truth that “the concept of falling into the foliage is floating and therefore the boat”, and then that “the alluvial wood is the boat and the alder is the wood,” producing the primitive shipbuilding industry. Oracle’s Shangri-La contains the word “boat”, creating the oldest navigation in the world. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods before the end of the era, the maritime navigation in China’s coastal areas was quite active. There was already flourishing maritime traffic during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Chinese ships crossed the Indian Ocean and reached the Persian Gulf. According to the famous science historian Joseph Needham research: "in 1100 ~