Introduction to Stalled Empires - The Collision of Two Worlds

More than two hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Great Britain (UK) sent Macartney on a mission to China. The biggest controversy in the history of this visit is whether Macartney kowtowed to Emperor Qianlong or not. The famous French scholar Perfetti, from the perspective of world history, regarded this visit as "the first impact between the East and the West", so the vision was broadened, and the material for thinking was enriched accordingly. In the author's eyes, the essence of the British mission meant that the "most powerful country in the world" faced the "only civilized country in the world", and it was a comprehensive encounter of the "traditional society" with the "modern society". The traditional society" meets the "modern society" in a comprehensive way.