Macartney Embassy meets the Qianlong Emperor

Period

1793

Region

China

Place

러허 (청더)

Category

Politics

The Macartney Embassy, also called the Macartney Mission, was the first British diplomatic mission to China, which took place in 1793. It is named for its leader, Viscount Macartney, Great Britain's first envoy to China. The goals of the mission included the opening of new ports for British trade in China, the establishment of a permanent embassy in Beijing, the cession of a small island for British use along China's coast, and the relaxation of trade restrictions on British merchants in Guangzhou (Canton). Macartney's delegation met with the Qianlong Emperor, who rejected all of the mission's requests. Although the mission failed to achieve its official objectives, it was later noted for the extensive cultural, political, and geographical observations its participants recorded in China and brought back to Europe. It came to light in 1796 that a Chinese court official, Heshen, was embezzling state funds and had frustrated the mission.

Sources: Wikipedia — Macartney Embassy · CC BY-SA 4.0

Earlier and later events nearby

1. 1601Matteo Ricci enters Beijing
2. 1644Battle of Shanhai Pass
3. 1772–1782Compilation of the Siku Quanshu
4. 1793Macartney Embassy meets the Qianlong EmperorThis page
5. 1919May Fourth Movement
6. 1927–1949Chinese Civil War
7. 1931Mukden incident

Who ruled this land

States that held this place in the historical borders data (Cliopatria). Years are approximate, as fine as the data's snapshots (every few years to a century). Tap to open the map for that year.

Other maps for this period

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