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Why was Taiwan discovered so late in Chinese history?


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Posted
And this forum might be named: English Language & Culture forums instead???

There are forums like that just so you know.

Posted
ancient china people were busy fighting each other. if china explored more and bickered less, then most of North America and South America would be speaking Chinese fluently...

And the world superpower may be an America that got independent from China a couple of hundred years ago, Who knows, UK might have been a chinese colony then...And this forum might be named: English Language & Culture forums instead???

oh, chinese like to get united...... :lol: :? :wink::D

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
ancient china people were busy fighting each other. if china explored more and bickered less, then most of North America and South America would be speaking Chinese fluently...

These are not the principal reasons why China lagged behind Europe in colonial exploration.

In fact, the scale of intra-European wars that were waged in the 18th, 19th and early 20th Century was much more fierce than those conducted in China.

Why would China lag behind Europe in colonial exploration?

Confucianism.

Confucian hierarchy placed merchants/traders on the lowest ladder of the society. Their status were lower than that of scholars and farmers and artisans albeit they were rich. Without the incentive to trade and without merchants occupying high seat in the court, how would China’s rulers be induced to expand overseas?

Remember that if Colombus did not dream to trade with China/India and if the Spanish monarchy was not motivated by such dream, the New Continent would have never been discovered!

Of course, there are some other reasons. For instance, Chinese were never zealous in religion like the Christians and Moslems whom intent to convert non-believers everywhere.

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