《海語》為黃衷（1474～1553）所作。黃衷為廣東南海人，在致仕後，著手撰述《海語》，原因有二：一是考量鄰邦無稽可考，鑑於永樂以後，幾乎無可考錄；二是家鄉稗官野談眾多，黃衷歸鄉後深居簡出，而廣州為海陸交通要衝，山翁船商眾多，成為他蒐集史料的最佳來源。《海語》篇幅不大，僅分三卷四類，其中〈物怪〉記錄海上的神怪、物異，雖荒誕不經，但富有古代中國以來對海洋生物的想像與對海洋世界的敬畏。相較於〈物怪〉，〈物產〉介紹海洋生物，〈畏途〉主要針對行船的海況提點，〈風俗〉專講暹羅、滿剌加的風土民情，內容具有實用價值。嘉靖以後，在經世之學的引領下，不少明人受到《海語》影響，投入書寫以東南亞國家、水生動物等主題的論著。簡而言之，《海語》是一本具備海洋文化的著作，豐富明人對海洋的想像與認知，能與西方大航海時代相呼應的著述。

Hai Yu 海語 （Words of the Sea） was written by Huang Zhong. Huang isANanhai native of Guangdong. After retiring from his official duty, he began the writing of Hai Yu for two reasons: Firstly, there was no verifiable information from the neighboring states; after the reign of Emperor Yongle, no material was available. Secondly, there were many folk rumors in his home town. Huang Zhong ledAsecluded life and rarely connect with others after he returned to his home town, but Guangzhou wasAsea and land traffic hub, with numerous merchants traveling around, and thus became the best source of historical material. Hai Yu is notAlengthy work, with only three volumes and four categories. Of these, the “Wuguai” 物怪 （Tall Tales） category records supernatural and bizarre stories on the sea. Though these stories are absurd, they are deeply characterized by the ancient Chinese imagination about sea creatures and their fear of the ocean. In contrast to “Wuguai”, the “Wuchan” 物產 （Animals and Products） category introduces sea creatures; the “Weitu” 畏途 （Perilous Journey） category includes mainly reminders on sea conditions that one might encounter duringAvoyage; and the “Fengsu” 風俗 （Customs） category focuses on the local customs and traditions in Siam and Malacca and the contents are of high practical value. After the reign of Emperor Jiajing, in the vogue of statecraft study, many writers in the Ming Dynasty undertook to write on topics like Southeast Asian countries and aquatic animals, etc. subject to the influence of Hai Yu. In brief, Hai Yu isAwork that embodies the maritime culture, which enriches people’s imagination and knowledge about the ocean in Ming Dynasty and echoes the age of discovery in the West.