Since the South China Sea opened to the outside world as a commercial port in 111 BC, it has undergone dramatic changes and experienced rises and falls along with the economic and cultural development of the Maritime Silk Road. This book reviews the history and analyzes the current situation of the South China Sea. The scope of the book centers around economic, trade and cultural development, which is the starting point and main theme. Political and military aspects have also been covered but are only pursued to the point where they are necessary for illustrating the background.