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China and Spanish America: Some Forgotten Aspects of China's Early Modern Maritime Silk Road

Speaking about China’s maritime Silk Road, many things come to mind, from silks to porcelains, Buddhist texts, and spices. One thinks of China’s relations with Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean world, or its close neighbors, Korea, Japan, or the Ryūkyū Islands. Little is known about historical China and Peru. This lecture will introduce some forgotten aspects of China’s early modern relations with Spanish Peru and the Americas.
We will look at Chinese maps, Chinese products demanded by New Spanish and Peruvian elites, New Spanish and Peruvian individuals involved in trade with China, and American plants and botanical substances used as medicines or food in China. Shipments across the Pacific Ocean on board the famous ‘Manila galleons’ were of course accompanied by knowledge exchange, and some American products and demands had a more lasting or far-reaching impact on Chinese society.

Feb 9, 2023 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)