中国人最早到美洲是距今3000年前。
本世纪末70年代后期，一些美国科学家重新研究了中国的《山海经》，得出一个令人吃惊的结论：中国人早在3000年前就到了美洲！
书中所描述的“东海以外”的山川形势，与北美洲西部和中部地形默然契合。书中还对北美风物作了不少生动有趣的描述。
20世纪以来，许多学者纷纷论证最早到达美洲的是中国人。
论据之一是古代典籍，除《山海经》之外，还有《梁书》中记载了高僧慧深漫游墨西哥的情况；《汉武洞冥记》中描写了秘鲁使者将蜂鸟（退飞）赠给汉武帝的情景；《杜阳杂编》还介绍了秘鲁龙舌兰的形状、特性与用途。
二是墨西哥等地古代不少司俗、法典和历法均与中国相似。三是在美洲出土了大量文物、石碑等物，上有“武当山”、“大齐田人之墓”等140多个汉字；厄瓜多尔还掘出数百枚王莾时代的的钱币。
Chinese’s first time to arrive the Americas was 3000 years ago.
In the late 1970s, some American scientists re-examined China’s “Shan Hai Jing” and got a startling conclusion: Chinese had arrived the Americas 3000 years ago! The mountain scene “beyond the East China Sea” described in the book was as similar as the situation in western and central North Americas. The book also made a lot of interesting description about the North Americas.
Since the 20th century, many scholars have argued that Chinese firstly arrived the Americas. One of the arguments was from the ancient books. In addition to the book ‘Shan Hai Jing’, there was also “Liang Book” recording of that the monk Hui Shen’s travel in Mexico. “HanWu Cave Records” had records of the Peru’s envoy to donate hummingbirds to the Han Dynasty. “Du Yang Miscellaneous” also described the Peru agave’s shape, properties and uses. Second, many of Mexico’s ancient customs, laws and calendar were as similar with those in China.
Third, there was a large number of cultural relics unearthed in the Americas, including stone and other articles carved totally about 140 Chinese characters such as “Wudang”, “Big Qitian Chinese Tomb”. Ecuador also unearthed hundreds of gold coins belonging to Wang Mang era of China.