Daqin (Ch:大秦) is the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire. It literally means "Great Qin", Qin being the name of the founding dynasty of the Chinese Empire. The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus). ... The Qin Dynasty (秦朝 Pinyin Qín, Wade-Giles Chin; 221 BC - 207 BC) was preceded by the Zhou Dynasty and followed by the Han Dynasty in China. ... China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ...

Following the opening of the Silk Road in the 2nd century BCE, the Chinese liked to think of the Roman Empire as a civilized pendant to the Chinese Empire. The Romans occupied one extreme position on the trade route, with the Chinese located on the other, hence the "mirror" name. The Silk Road (Traditional Chinese: 絲綢之路; Simplified Chinese: 丝绸之路; pinyin: sī chóu zhī lù, Persian راه ابریشم Râh-e Abrisham) was an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan (todays Xian), China, with Antioch, Syria, as well as other points. ... (3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events BC 168 Battle of Pydna -- Macedonian phalanx defeated by Romans BC 148 Rome conquers Macedonia BC 146 Rome destroys Carthage in the Third Punic War BC 146 Rome conquers...

It seems China never managed to directly reach the Roman Empire in antiquity, although general Ban Chao led an expedition of 70,000 in 97 CE that went as far as the Caspian Sea. Ban Chao's ambassador, Gan Ying, went even closer, to the shore of the Black Sea. Gan Ying left a detailed account of the Roman Empire, but it is generally considered to have been based on second hand information. Ban Chao (班超, 32-102 CE) was a Chinese general and cavalry commander in charge of the administration of the Western Regions (Central Asia) during the Eastern Han dynasty. ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 0s BC - 0s - 10s - 20s - 30s - 40s - 50s - 60s - 70s - 80s - 90s - 100s Years: 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 Events Pope Evaristus succeeds Pope Clement I Tacitus advanced to consulship. ... Caspian Sea viewed from orbit The Caspian Sea or Mazandaran Sea is a landlocked sea between Asia and Europe (European Russia). ... Gan Ying (甘英) was a Chinese military ambassador who was sent on a mission to Rome in 97 by the Chinese general Ban Chao. ... Map of the Black Sea. ...

The name "Daqin" for Rome was used on Chinese maps as late as the 16th century. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...

See also

• Sino-Roman relations
• Daqin Pagoda
• Memorial of the Propagation in China of the Luminous Religion from Daqin
• Daqin Hui Township (大秦回族乡), Kongtong District, Pingliang City (平涼市崆峒區), Gansu Province