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For centuries, the primary path of trade and cultural propagation between the East and West of the Eurasia continent was the Silk Road, which was actually a network of various land and sea routes. In particular, the advancement of shipbuilding technology and navigational expertise opened up the maritime Silk Road (sea route), as evidenced by the discovery of the Sinan route, which reached its peak during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). This sea route was a pipeline for maritime trade that connected the Muslim empire in western Asia to Southeast Asia to the southeastern coast of China, with additional ports in Korea and Japan.

One day in 1323, an international trade ship loaded with various trade goods, including many ceramics, shipped out from Qingyuan (慶元) (present-day Ningbo), heading for Hakata and Tokyo, but the ship sank in the coastal waters of Sinan, Jeollanamdo. In 1975, a fisherman came across a celadon vase in his nets, and the sunken ship was awakened from its 650-year slumber on the seabed.  

The finding of this shipwreck, called “Sinanseon,” not only produced numerous precious artifacts, but also raised global interest in the history of international exchange via sea routes, as well as underwater archaeology. The relics from Sinan Shipwreck provide vital evidence for comprehending trade via the maritime Silk Road and the lives of the era.