China’s Maritime Cultural Heritage: Protection, History, and Policy

As the latest and most significant addition to The Maritime Silk Road Series, this volume stands as the first comprehensive scholarly monograph on the protection of China's maritime cultural heritage available in English. Authored by Qu Jinliang, a founding figure in Chinese marine cultural studies, and supported by the National Social Science Fund of China, it offers a theoretical framework for preserving underwater, coastal, and island heritage sites. The book systematically explores diverse categories: - Underwater archaeology: Shipwrecks and ancient navigation technology. - Maritime policy: Legal frameworks for heritage protection and the " Ten Thousand Li Sea Wall." - Cultural anthropology: The spread of Mazu beliefs and maritime folk traditions across East Asia. Crucially, this work challenges traditional terrestrial-centric historiography. As China advances its 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, this book provides essential historical context and empirical support for scholars of Asian History, Maritime Law, and Ocean Policy.