From Sea Routes to Silk Roads Fujian and the Ryukyu Kingdom

For over 500 years, the island kingdom of Ryukyu was connected to China’ s southeastern coast through a network of sea routes that crisscrossed the East China Sea. These routes facilitated the exchange of goods and fostered deep cultural and social ties between Fujian and Ryukyu.

In From Sea Routes to Silk Roads: Fujian and the Ryukyu Kingdom, we explore the historical relationship between these two regions, from the early Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Through 284 images and five chapters, we examine the political, economic, cultural, and religious dimensions of the Fujian-Ryukyu connection. We also delve into the daily lives, customs, and traditions of the people who lived along these sea routes, shedding light on an often-overlooked facet of East Asian history.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of maritime trade, the Silk Road, or the complex web of relationships that link East Asia’ s diverse cultures and peoples.

Xie Chen is a librarian and assistant researcher at the Fujian Normal University Center for Fujian-Ryukyu Relations. He received his master’ s degree in literature from Fujian Normal University in 2013, after studying at the University of the Ryukyus in Japan. Xie’ s research interests include the history of Fujian-Ryukyu relations and Fujian-Taiwan relations. Lin Yanxi is a teacher at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Fujian University of Technology. He obtained his master’ s degree in history from Fujian Normal University in 2014, and his research interests include the history of Chinese coastal areas and overseas Chinese communities. Mr. Xie Bizhen, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Fujian Normal University, Director of the Fujian-Taiwan Regional Research Center of Fujian Normal University, a key research base of humanities and social sciences of the Ministry of Education. His main research focuses on Chinese overseas transportation and trade history, the history of Sino-Japanese relations, and the local history of Fujian.