China has had its own maritime civilization early on， which is reflected not only in the understanding of the world by politicians and thinkers， but also in the livelihood practices of people in different coastal regions. In the evolution of diverse forms of civilization， agrarian civilization， nomadic civilization and maritime civilization have developed independently in specific geographical environments. Due to the fertile land in the Central Plains and the rapid advancement of agricultural technology， agrarian civilization and the state system established on it have long dominated and reached a high level， exerting a certain radiation effect on nomadic civilization and maritime civilization. Nourished by the agrarian core， nomadic and maritime cultures developed swiftly， and through their integration with traditional commercial civilizations， opened up the Silk Road on land and sea. Whether by land or by sea， whether in agriculture or commerce， the expansion of these ventures was fraught with hardships and required paying a price. Therefore， rulers and people responded in different ways—expansion or caution—leading to alternating policies of openness and prohibition in maritime policies. However， the non-mainstream maritime civilization has grown through twists and turns. Throughout its historical evolution， China’s maritime civilization has consistently shown a strong tendency to integrate with agrarian civilization， reflecting the core features of official oversight with grassroots initiative， mutual influence between land and sea， harmonious engagement with all nations， moral cultivation that extends across oceans， and a balanced， centered approach to governance. Under the banner of colonial expansion， modern Western maritime civilization and Chinese maritime civilization intersected， experiencing a process from admiration and appropriation to denigration of Chinese maritime achievements， through which Western discourse power was established， ushering in an age of global hegemony. China once suffered from the encroachment and plunder of foreign powers， but as cultural self-doubt gives way to cultural confidence， China’s maritime civilization is entering a new stage of transformation and reconstruction.