Daqin
Daqin (; alternative transliterations include Tachin, Tai-Ch'in) is the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire or, depending on context, the Near East, especially Syria. It literally means "great Qin"; Qin () being the name of the founding dynasty of the Chinese Empire. Historian John Foster defined it as "the Roman Empire, or rather that part of it which alone was known to the Chinese, Syria". Its basic facets such as laws, customs, dress, and currency were explained in Chinese sources. Its medieval incarnation was described in histories during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) onwards as "Fulin" (), which Friedrich Hirth and other scholars have identified as the Byzantine Empire. Daqin was also commonly associated with the Syriac-speaking Nestorian Christians who lived in China during the Tang dynasty.

Chinese sources describe several ancient Roman embassies arriving in China, beginning in 166 AD and lasting into the 3rd century. These early embassies were said to arrive by a maritime route via the South China Sea in the Chinese province of Jiaozhi (now northern Vietnam). Archaeological evidence such as Roman coins points to the presence of Roman commercial activity in Southeast Asia. Later recorded embassies arriving from the Byzantine Empire, lasting from the 7th to 11th centuries, ostensibly took an overland route following the Silk Road, alongside other Europeans in Medieval China. Byzantine Greeks are recorded as being present in the court of Kublai Khan (1260–1294), the Mongol ruler of the Yuan dynasty in Khanbaliq (Beijing), while the Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368–1398), founder of the Ming dynasty, sent a letter of correspondence to Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos.
Q2277
Roman Empire
LOC
Q48214
Near East
LOC
Q207118
Syria
LOC
Q7183
Qin
Concept
Q82972
Chinese Empire
ORG
Q2671119
the Roman Empire
TIME
Q182246
known to the Chinese
Concept
Q162314
laws
Concept
Q1200427
customs
Concept
Q2457980
dress
Concept
Q952064
currency
Concept
Q175077
in histories
ORG
Q9683
Tang dynasty
Concept
Q252527
Friedrich Hirth
PER
Q12544
Byzantine Empire
LOC
Q33538
Syriac-speaking
Concept
Q168414
Nestorian Christians
Concept
Q1747689
ancient Roman
LOC
Q182246
arriving in China
Concept
Q513839
by a maritime route
UNK
Q37660
South China Sea
LOC
Q2591393
Jiaozhi
LOC
Q881
Vietnam
LOC
Q952064
Roman coins
Concept
Q2008214
Roman commercial
Concept
Q11708
Southeast Asia
LOC
Q2993777
the Byzantine Empire
TIME
Q36288
Silk Road
LOC
Q5413715
Europeans in Medieval China
PER
Q7523
Kublai Khan
PER
Q12557
the Mongol
LOC
Q7313
Yuan dynasty
Concept
Q101186473
Khanbaliq
LOC
Q956
Beijing
LOC
Q9957
Hongwu Emperor
PER
Q9903
Ming dynasty
Concept
Q37070
John V Palaiologos
PER
Q1521359
Daqin
LOC
Q1521359
Daqin
LOC
1368-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1368
DATE
+618^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
618
NUMBER
+907^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
907
NUMBER
+3^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
3
NUMBER
+7^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
7
NUMBER
+11^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
11
NUMBER
+1260^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1260
NUMBER
+1294^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1294
NUMBER
+1398^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1398
NUMBER
time period
country
inception