The Interconnection Between Eastern Roman Empire and Ancient China (Ancient Worlds in Comparison #2)

In recent decades, studies on the relations of the Greco-Roman world with China have been paid more attention. The studies are mainly relied on the written sources from the Mediterranean world about the Far East and those sources from China about the Far West. Following this tradition, the book will focus on the image of the Roman Empire, mainly the eastern part known to Chinese as Da-qin including the regions of Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, which was conceived by Chinese from the first century to the sixth century CE.

Based on previous researchers and the ancient Chinese literature, this book will deal with the relations between the Roman empire and ancient China, with a focus on the study of the image of the Roman empire in ancient Chinese literature. Compared with Western sources, with the help of Chinese sources, the study will attempt to reconstruct the image, analyze the influential factors of the image's construction, and examine its significance for the improvement of contemporary European-Chinese relations.