Chapter 5 extends the discussion from the policy realm to a more conceptual level. To support my argument regarding the significance of the maritime world in the Qing imagination, this chapter analyzes three non-official texts by Chen Lunjiong (?–1751), Wang Dahai, and Xie Qinggao (1765–1821) that were dedicated to the maritime world and China’s place within it. In responding to Chinese geographical traditions and contemporary intellectual trends, such as the turn toward “evidentiary scholarship” (kaozhengxue), this chapter offers an overview of some scholarly treatments of the sea and the countries that were connected by the sea to the Qing Empire. Although there are more official than unofficial records on maritime governance, the latter are no less significant. In fact, when combined with official Qing documents, they provide a more thorough picture of the Qing’s maritime world.