The other main character is Liang Qichao, a leading Chinese intellectual in the twilight of the last imperial dynasty, the Qing, and the chaotic early years after it fell in 1911.

ECONOMIST: The intellectual roots of Asian anti-Westernism

The emperor resided in the Palace of Heavenly Purity until the mid-Qing dynasty when it became an audience hall in which ambassadors and other luminaries were received.

BBC: Beijing's once Forbidden City

Until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, this sprawling complex was the seat of Chinese government.

BBC: Beijing's once Forbidden City

When the Qing dynasty fell in 1911, former palace chefs set up restaurants around Beijing and brought the dish to the public.

BBC: Sampling Beijing��s imperial duck

It is true that, under the ethnic-Manchu Qing dynasty, which fell in 1911, China ruled Mongolia cruelly.

ECONOMIST: A tug of war between commercial logic and popular sentiment

He is widely assumed to be the Peabody Essex's biggest donor among his gifts, according to published reports, was the purchase, importation and restoration of a complete Qing dynasty merchant's house, which sits on the museum grounds as it was in southeastern China in the 1980s.

WSJ: A New Way Forward | Dan L. Monroe | Peabody Essex Museum | Cultural Conversation by Judith H. Dobrzynski