Early Chinese sea charts have changed greatly in their contents and their ways of mapmaking compared to contemporary Chinese sea charts. This article suggests that the development of Chinese sea chart can be divided into two phases by 1929. After a general review of previous research，this paper provides five suggestions for the study of Chinese sea chart history in the future. Firstly，conduct a systematic collection of the early sea charts based on chart classification of China. Secondly，enforce comparative studies of sea charts with same or similar origins. Thirdly，focus on the differences between sea chart and those maps of coastal area. Fourthly，conduct comparative studies of sea charts in South East Asian and the rest of the world. Lastly，strengthen the application of sea charts in the studies of other disciplines.