Introduction
Before his armies crossed into China, the Manchu ruler Hong Taiji (1592–1643) proclaimed a new dynasty, Daicing Gurun (the “Great Qing”), and styled his court a celestial empire in the Chinese tradition. Drawing on ancient ritual protocols for the reception of foreign guests, the Qing set about ordering its relations with the wider world.
Neighboring peoples who presented tribute and sent periodic missions to court became “vassal states” and served as a protective buffer around the empire. Trade and border disputes gave rise to “trade states”, with which Qing maintained commercial ties but no formal diplomatic ties, while treaty agreements produced a third category of “allied states”.
By the 19th century, Western powers were forcing their way in, compelling the court to set up dedicated foreign affairs institutions—first the Zongli Yamen, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As treaty ports opened and foreign envoys settled permanently in Beijing, the empire’s stance shifted from reluctant accommodation to active engagement, and the Qing entered the international order as a full member of the community of nations.
Comprising three sections, The Tributary Order, Expedient Measures, and Securing the Realm, the exhibition draws on Qing diplomatic documents, official compilations, and maps from the Museum’s collection, supplemented by archival materials deposited with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to trace the full arc of Qing foreign relations and the gradual emergence of modern diplomatic norms and geopolitical thinking.