Cindy Yu Cindy Yu

The 19th century Chinese craze for all things European

The British Museum's new show about China's 'hidden century' is all the more interesting for going beyond the political

A primitive peasant raincoat (1800-06), made from palm leaves and straw, betrays the huge economic inequalities of the dying empire. © The Trustees of the British Museum
  • Comments

  • China’s hidden century

    British Museum, until 8 October

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Graeme Thomson

Taylor Swift’s new album is exhausting

From the magazine
How to explain the supercharged star power of Taylor Swift? An undeniably gifted artist, Swift’s albums 1989, Folklore and Evermore, in particular, are excellent. She has written a battery of terrific pop songs. She is a generous and skilled performer. To suggest she is overrated is not an insult, therefore, but simply a comment on

Because you read about 19th century

Also by Cindy Yu

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in