Clash of cultures: how interpreters bridged the gap between Britain and China
HistoryExtra podcast
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What's the Difference Between McCartney and Lee?
Kowtau was Chinese kurtol means to get down on your knees and bow your head to the floor. The Chinese were famous for requiring ambassadors to do this when they met the emperor. In fact, the Manchus have an etiquette where they go down on one knee and put a hand on the ground. And that is much closer to what the British did.
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