Story

Eight centuries of changing frames.

Follow the names, images, and political roles through which Western audiences made China legible to themselves.

1. 1275Cathay before ‘China’Read chapter
2. 1513China made legibleRead chapter
3. 1687Model empireRead chapter
4. 1700Luxury ChinaRead chapter
5. 1793The closed empireRead chapter
6. 1839Empire in crisisRead chapter
7. 1911Revolution and allyRead chapter
8. 1949Red ChinaRead chapter
9. 1978Factory, market, rivalRead chapter