The Lost Three Hundred Years: China’s Opening and Closing After the Age of Discovery (1516–1840)

A new book on Chinese history by Guo Jianlong! Recommended by Luo Zhenyu and Yu Minhong. Discover China’s opening up and setbacks over the three centuries from the late Ming to the late Qing. China once had opportunities to learn from the West and open itself to the world. It was eager to learn about technology, commerce, finance, and systems of governance. China opened up to the outside world more than once in its history, but without learning from the past, every opening eventually closes in on itself and returns to its original state of isolation.

This book does not praise the greatness of ancient dynasties. Instead, it examines China’s actual gains and losses over the more than three centuries between the Age of Discovery and the outbreak of the Opium War. It helps readers understand that China was not inherently closed off. Centuries ago, it underwent a major opening to the world, bringing in the most advanced Western technologies and knowledge of the time. But because of the nature of its centralized feudal regime, Chinese society forgot everything it had learned and returned to its traditional isolation.