尾声：中国古代“海上丝绸之路”的现代转型
Epilogue: Modern Transformation of China’s Ancient “Maritime Silk Road”
1840年鸦片战争的炮火，轰开了清王朝紧闭的国门，也打断了中国“海上丝绸之路”的发展进程。广州、宁波等中国主要“海丝城市”成了鸦片战争的主战场，备受英国侵略者蹂躏践踏。1842年鸦片战争结束，清政府签订了丧权辱国的《南京条约》，广州、福州、宁波等成了“五口通商”城市。从此，中国“海丝城市”被迫踏上了向现代转型的艰辛历程，在一次次血与火的洗礼中经受磨难，并且不断获得新生。
In 1840, the gunfire of the Opium War broke the doors tightly closed by the Qing Dynasty, and also interrupted the development process of China’s “Maritime Silk Road”. China’s main “Maritime Silk Road Cities” like Guangzhou and Ningbo became major battle fields of the Opium War, greatly trodden down by British invaders. When the Opium War was over in 1842 , the Qing government signed the “Treaty of Nanking”, a treaty of national betrayal and humiliation. Accordingly Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Ningbo and the other two cities became the “Five Open Trading Ports”. From then on, China’s “Maritime Silk Road Cities” were forced to set off the hard course of modern transformation, and experience all kinds of hardships and continuously get revitalized through repeated baptisms of blood and fire.
今天，行走在改革开放最前列的中国“海丝城市”，正致力于海洋经济的发展和海洋文化的建设。面对正在到来的海洋世纪，回顾辉煌的“海上丝绸之路”，我们更有勇气在全球化时代劈波斩浪，奋勇向前。
Today, China’s “Maritime Silk Road Cities”, which are at the forefront of the reform and opening up, are committing themselves to developing marine economy and constructing marine culture. Facing the upcoming ocean century and looking back to the glorious “Maritime Silk Road”, we are more determined than ever to strive and march onward in the age of globalization.