The evidence behind the story.
Browse the maps, manuscripts, objects, and printed images behind each chapter.
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13751500160017002025
1375East Asia in the Catalan AtlasAbraham Cresques or his workshopView source
circa 1410–1412Kublai Khan huntingParisian illuminator of BnF Français 2810View source
circa 1410–1412Opening of the Livre des merveilles du mondeParisian illuminators working for John the FearlessView source
1584Chinae, olim Sinarum regionis, nova descriptioLuis Jorge de Barbuda; published by Abraham OrteliusView source
1602Kunyu Wanguo QuantuMatteo Ricci with Li Zhizao; printed by Zhang WentaoView source
circa 1623Wanguo QuantuGiulio AleniView source
1655Imperii Sinarum nova descriptioMartino Martini; published by Joan BlaeuView source
1665The interior of the Imperial CourtAfter Johan Nieuhof; engraved and published by Jacob van MeursView source
1667Frontispiece to China IllustrataAthanasius Kircher and an unidentified engraverView source
1687The life of Confucius in LatinProspero Intorcetta, Philippe Couplet, Christian Herdtrich, François de Rougemont, and collaboratorsView source
1697Observatoire de PekinFranz Ertinger; published with text by Louis Le ComteView source
1697The throne of the Emperor of ChinaFranz Ertinger; published with text by Louis Le ComteView source
1697Cam-Hy, Emperor of China and Eastern TartaryFranz Ertinger; published with text by Louis Le ComteView source
1699Novissima Sinica, second editionGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, editorView source
1700Censure de quelques propositions des PP. Le Comte et Le Gobien JésuitesAnonymousView source
ca. 1710CoffeepotUnknown Chinese porcelain makersView source
1723ChinaHerman MollView source
ca. 1720–30Design for a Chinese-style Lacquer CabinetAnonymous German designer, in the manner of Martin SchnellView source
ca. 1735–40TeapotMeissen ManufactoryView source
ca. 1760–85Chinoiserie OrnamentJean PillementView source
1763View of the Wilderness at KewWilliam Marlow; architecture by Sir William ChambersView source
14 September 1792The Reception of the Diplomatique and his Suite at the Court of PekinJames Gillray; published by Hannah HumphreyView source
1793Macartney’s first meeting with the Qianlong EmperorWilliam Alexander, reconstructed from embassy testimonyView source
1796View of the Great Wall of China near GubeikouThomas Medland after William Alexander and Henry William ParishView source
1797–1805An Officer of the Corps of BowmenWilliam AlexanderView source
early 19th centuryTray with the Canton factoriesUnknown Chinese makerView source
ca. 1830Packing Porcelain in Canton for Shipment to the WestUnidentified Chinese artistView source
30 May 1843The Nemesis destroying Chinese war junks in Anson’s BayEdward Duncan; published by ForesView source
1860After the Capture of the Taku FortsFelice BeatoView source
29 March 1882The anti-Chinese wall—the American wall goes up as the Chinese original goes downFriedrich GraetzView source
16 January 1898En Chine—Le gâteau des Rois et… des EmpereursHenri MeyerView source
15 August 1900The real trouble will come with the “wake”Udo J. Keppler, attributed; J. Ottmann Lithographic Company, printerView source
1911–1915Marshal Li recovering Nanjing during the Xinhai Revolution of 1911Unknown Chinese artistView source
1912Sun Yat Sen and the Awakening of ChinaJames Cantlie and Charles Sheridan JonesView source
c. 1920–1925Part of Chang Tso-Lin’s Army, TientsinBain News ServiceView source
January 1942China fights on against all oddsUnited States Office of War Information; photographer unknownView source
1942This man is your friend: Chinese: he fights for freedomUnited States Office of Facts and Figures, Graphics DivisionView source
24 February 1943Washington, D.C. Madame Chiang Kai-shek and Mrs. RooseveltRobertsView source
c. 1943–1945We salute the Chinese Republic on her birthday October 10thUnited China ReliefView source
2 March 1951Men of the 1st Marine Division capture Chinese Communists at HoengsongPfc. C. T. Wehner, United States Marine CorpsView source
27 March 1959Joint CIA-GRC Resistance ProgramCentral Intelligence AgencyView source
7 February 1963Communist China: Surface-to-Air Missile SitesCentral Intelligence AgencyView source
26 August 1964The Chances of an Imminent Communist Chinese Nuclear ExplosionDirector of Central Intelligence and United States Intelligence BoardView source
24 February 1972President Richard Nixon looks at the view from the Great Wall of ChinaByron Schumaker, White House Photo OfficeView source
21 February 1972President Richard Nixon and Premier Chou En-Lai shake hands on arrival in PekingByron Schumaker, White House Photo OfficeView source
19 October 1979Pearl River Delta, 19 October 1979Jesse Allen, using Landsat 3 MSS data provided by the University of Maryland Global Land Cover FacilityView source
10 October 2000Public Law 106-286: Normal Trade Relations for the People’s Republic of ChinaUnited States CongressView source
10 January 2003Urbanization of the Pearl River Delta, 10 January 2003Jesse Allen, using Landsat 7 ETM+ data provided by the Landsat Project Science Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterView source
2013China 2030: Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative SocietyWorld Bank and Development Research Center of the State Council, People’s Republic of ChinaView source
7 October 2022Implementation of Additional Export Controls on Advanced Computing and Semiconductor Manufacturing ItemsBureau of Industry and Security, United States Department of CommerceView source
30 October 2025President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with President Xi JinpingDaniel Torok, White House photographerView source