Seminar on Eastern Maritime Silk Road & 76th Anniversary of Longhai Railway’s Opening Held

From: Lianyungang Daily Updated: 2025-12-14 04:49

Recently, a seminar on the Eastern Maritime Silk Road and the commemoration of the 76th anniversary of the opening of the Longhai Railway was held at Jiangsu Ocean University. Experts and scholars from across the country gathered to engage in in-depth discussions on the historical and contemporary issues surrounding the city’s bid for designation as a National Historical and Cultural City.

Lianyungang boasts a long history, profound cultural heritage, outstanding talents, and a rich cultural lineage. As early as ancient times, it served as a vital bridge for cultural exchanges and commercial interactions between the vast East Pacific and the expansive Eurasian continent, emerging as an important starting point of the Eastern Maritime Silk Road. Seventy-six years ago, with the whistle of the Longhai Railway, a major transportation artery traversing east to west across China, this magical and romantic land was further invigorated, and the name “Lianyungang” spread far and wide, deeply etched into the memories of generations.

This seminar focused on the historical convergence of the Maritime Silk Road and the Longhai Railway, offering valuable suggestions for promoting the inheritance of marine culture at the provincial and municipal levels and exploring regional coordinated development. Entering a new era, the “Belt and Road” Initiative has presented Lianyungang with unprecedented historical opportunities. As the core area at the intersection of the “Belt and Road”, Lianyungang should integrate regional development into the national overall layout, break down regional development barriers, and improve coordination mechanisms. It should strengthen transportation connectivity, leveraging land transportation arteries such as the Longhai Railway to enhance links with coastal ports and the Yangtze River waterway. Additionally, it should deepen industrial integration, promoting the profound integration of the marine economy with inland industries and adhering to a coordinated approach to land and sea development.

Prior to the seminar, experts and scholars visited Longhai Railway History Museum, Lianyung Old Street, and the inscribed stone marking the boundary of the Donghai Langya Commandery on East Liandao, gaining a more concrete and in-depth understanding of the city’s rich historical and cultural heritage and profound cultural accumulation.