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Celestial Empire

This article is about China. For the clipper ship, see Celestial Empire (clipper). For Mormon theology, see Celestial Kingdom. For other uses of "Celestials", see Celestial.
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Names of China
  • 神州
    • Divine land

Celestial Empire (Chinese: 天朝; pinyin: Tiāncháo; lit. 'heavenly dynasty') is an old name used to refer to China or the Chinese Empire, from a literary and poetic translation of the Chinese term, one of many names for China.[1] The name was used in reference to the status of the Emperor of China as the Son of Heaven in the Sinosphere.

Accordingly, in the 19th century, the name "Celestial" was used to refer to Chinese people.[2] Both terms were widely used in the English-language popular mass media of the day,[3][4] but fell into disuse later on. Its usage has become popular again in the present day (2015), particularly among Chinese Internet users. It is used to refer to the current Communist regime, to imply either disapproval for its political suppression and arrogance or national pride in the country's emergence as a superpower in the 21st century, depending on the context.[5]

In modern times it has mostly fallen into disuse, but the name "Celestial Empire" still appears in various media such as articles, stories, movies and television. It is a literal translation of Tiāncháo' into English as mentioned above. The origin of the name goes back to traditional Chinese religion, in which the sky is often considered the highest god, with emperors being Sons of Heaven (tianzi), born to govern the country. The emperors were also considered to be born of dragons.[6] This was extremely significant in fostering Chinese nationalism and support for the emperor.[7]

  1. ^ "Chances in China; Standard Oil Man Says Celestial Kingdom Needs Much American Funds" (PDF). The New York Times. February 15, 1914.
  2. ^ "Celestial" capitalized (Celestial Empire, old name for China): of or relating to China or the Chinese Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
  3. ^ ""The Wyoming Massacre" New York Times; 6 September 1885; pg. 7, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times Retrieved 12 March 2007.
  4. ^ "The Chinese Massacre," The National Police Gazette, September 19, 1885, no. 418, pg 6.
  5. ^ "Decoding the Chinese Internet: A Glossary of Political Slang" (PDF). 2015. p. 13.
  6. ^ "Why China is Also Called Celestial Empire?". Chinesesession. 2008-06-23. Archived from the original on 2022-03-09.
  7. ^ Cotterell, A. (2011). The Imperial Capitals of China: An Inside View of the Celestial Empire. London: Vintage Digital

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