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Imagining China

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Story Explore About 中文

1275Cathay before ‘China’
1513China made legible
1687Model empire
1700Luxury China
1793The closed empire
1839Empire in crisis
1911Revolution and ally
1949Red China
1978Factory, market, rival

A tall engraved map of China published by Herman Moll in 1723, with coastlines, provinces, rivers, and surrounding regions labelled.

IMAGINING CHINA

How the West imagined China, 1275–2025

Begin with Cathay

A country imagined before it was seen.

1723ChinaHerman Moll · Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

1275
1513
1687
1700
1793
1839
1911
1949
1978
2025