唐代中西交通海路超越陆路问题新论

A New Exploration of the Sea Transportation Exceeding the Land Transportation in Mid-west China in the Tang Dynasty

早在武则天时期,海路的作用和地位就已超越陆路,主要表现在:(1)这一时期中、印之间航海已很发达,南中国海到波斯湾也多直航,海路成为中西交往最为通畅和安全的路线;(2)南海和西域各国使节、商贾和僧侣等多遵海路来华,南洋贡口和奴隶大量涌入汉地,海路成为中西人员往来的主要渠道;(3)交、广等港口城市商业贸易繁荣起来,海路经济文化交流日益发展,海洋文化包括天文历法、音乐艺术及异域方物等浩荡汇入大唐文明。

As early as the reign of Empress of Wu, the function of sea transportation had exceeded that of land transportation. This fact mainly showed itself in the following ways. First, in this period, sea transportation between China and India was already well-developed, and direct journeys were often made from China to the Persian Bay, which proved sea route the smoothest and safest between China and western countries. Secondly, most envoys, merchants and monks from the South China Sea and western nations chose to come to China by sea, which had be- came the mainline for contact between Chinese and western peoples. Finally, this resulted in prosperous business and trade at such harbours as Guangzhou and Jiaozhi. What＇ s more, exchange of sea economy and culture gained increasing development, which introduced astronomy and calendar, music and art and exotic utensils massively to the civilization of the Tang Dynasty.