两宋时代,我国的海外贸易在唐代的基础上发展到了一个新的高潮。这主要表现为当时的沿海地区新涌现出为数众多的海商,他们资金雄厚,进取心强,善于经营,商业活动十分活跃,不仅在国内通过水陆两路与各地区展开了频繁的商业联系,而且在海外还以雄厚的资金进出于东亚、东南亚、南亚和西亚各国,甚至还远航非洲与一些友好国家进行密切的贸易往来。其中值得注意的是福建海外贸易发展迅速,并且朝着日益发展的方向迈进,所以福建海商在海外活动最为频繁,早在北宋时代就为当时人所重视,如当时著名的 In the two Song dynasties, our country’s overseas trade developed to a new upsurge on the basis of the Tang Dynasty. This is mainly manifested in the emergence of a large number of newly emerged maritime merchants in the coastal areas at that time. They are well-funded, ambitious and entrepreneurial, and their commercial activities are very active. They have not only conducted frequent commercial contacts with various regions through land and sea routes, But also overseas with abundant funds in and out of East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia, and even voyage to Africa and some friendly countries to conduct close trade. It is noteworthy that Fujian’s overseas trade is developing rapidly and moving in a direction of ever-increasing development. Therefore, Fujian Maritime Merchants have been the most active overseas, as early as the Northern Song Dynasty. For example,