Watermelon originated in the arid desert of tropical Africa. Archaeologists have now found watermelon seeds and leaves in Egyptian tombs; Up to now, there are still wild watermelon varieties in the semi-desert area of Kalahari, South Africa. Moreover, according to the characteristics of watermelon's heat and drought tolerance, the microclimate environment and terroir conditions in South Africa are also very suitable for the natural cradle of watermelon's origin. So it is generally believed that watermelon originated in Africa.

Watermelon first spread from Egypt to Asia Minor, all the way along the northern shore of the Mediterranean to the hinterland of Europe. It was transplanted to the United States in the middle of the19th century, and then entered North America and South America. The other was introduced to India eastward through Persia; North through Afghanistan, across the Pamirs, along the Silk Road into the Western Regions, and Uighur into Chinese mainland.

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The legend of watermelon:

Watermelon, as its name implies, is a melon from the western regions. Five dynasties ago, it was not called watermelon because it had been introduced to the southeast coastal areas of China. Because of its cold and antipyretic nature, it was called cold melon. Therefore, it seems doubtful that watermelon was introduced into China from the Western Regions. Presumably, it was introduced into China by the Maritime Silk Road.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once sent "translators" to raise businessmen, take silk and go to western countries by boat. The ship set sail from Leizhou Peninsula, sailed along the west coast of Beibu Gulf and the coast of Vietnam, bypassed the southern tip of Vietnam, then went south along the coast of Malay Peninsula along Siam Bay, arrived in Singapore, turned west, crossed the Straits of Malacca and arrived in the country along the Bay of Bengal. " Chinese-English translation has paid off since then (Hanshu Geography);

This sea route is the so-called "Maritime Silk Road". Where is the "no country" today? Most scholars think it is Sri Lanka, while others say it is Abyssinia in eastern Africa. No matter which statement is correct, it shows that the sea passage of China-Africa traffic has been opened in the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

Because in the Han dynasty, Arabs had mastered the secret of the Indian Ocean trade winds and were able to sail through the Indian Ocean from east to west. In this way, it is entirely possible for Sri Lanka and Nanyang Islands to become transit points between China and Africa. Watermelons from Africa can be introduced into China through Sri Lanka or Nanyang Islands. Watermelon seeds unearthed from Han tombs in Guangxi and Jiangsu are evidence of non-cultural communication in maritime Silk Road communication.

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