Stuff You Missed in Chinese History

There are 1.4 billion Chinese people, so you may already know somebody from China and have some ideas about the country. What comes to mind when you do think of China? Do you see her as a rooster shape on the world map? Is it calligraphy, tea, or Tai Chi? Is it the delicious cuisine or the cadenced pronunciation of the language? Well, they are all part of China, but it is not the whole picture. Let’s take a closer look.

Have you ever heard of George Macartney? He was the 1st Earl Macartney in Britain, a statesman, a colonial administrator, and a diplomat. However, among the Chinese, he is often remembered for his refusal to kowtow to the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Emperors during the Qing Dynasty used the title of "Bogd khaan" when dealing with the Mongols. "Bogd" means "sage" in Mongolian. While in Tibet, they turned out to be patrons of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty sent out his treasure fleet seven times to visit Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Western Asia, and East Africa. Each expedition was commanded by a Muslim admiral and court eunuch named Zheng He.

The short-lived Yuan Dynasty had a history of just under 100 years. What mistakes did the Mongol administrators make? Our first guess is their tyranny, but what did that involve?

Did you know the book "The Travels of Marco Polo" was written in prison?  And that both the book and its author shared a funny nickname?

Long ago in China, the nomads in the north and the farmers of the Central Plains were mostly in a state of conflict. After the Chanyuan Treaty was signed though, the regions enjoyed 120 years of development. Why did this nomadic regime love peace so much?

Which dynasty in Chinese history was the wealthiest? You might think that it was either the Han or Tang but, believe it or not, it was the Song Dynasty.