William Alexander travelled as a draughtsman with Lord Macartney’s embassy to China in 1792–94, and this book publishes his coloured pictures with a page of description for each. The plates run from the Qianlong Emperor and mandarins in court dress to cormorant fishermen, jugglers, barbers, booksellers, soldiers, boat girls, mourners and street vendors.
One of the earliest and most vivid Western records of everyday Chinese life, for lovers of costume and travel art. Download the free EPUB.