INTRODUCTION

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China has become a major economic power within the last two decades. It is interesting to see how China has finally come into its own although it has a long 5,000 year history of cultural achievement. Interestingly, the early, pre-Columbus invasions that China sent to other countries around the world involved peaceful huge fleets of hundreds of treasure ships that followed the major ocean currents to visit other countries to share the wealth and achievements of China. 

Through the years a long line of foreign countries have aggressively invaded China and taken over land areas to enable the looting of resources and manpower: 

Invaders
Japan (numerous times), Korea, Russia, Mongolia, Manchuria, Tibet, Vietnam, 
USA, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, plus the nomadic tribes to the north and west. 
In ancient times, people that conquered China were assimilated and became Chinese. 

I've compiled a unique and interesting look at some of these foreign invasions -- as well as a study of Chinese lifestyles -- over a 50-year period from 1860-1910 as documented by over 2,000 rare 3-D stereoview cards from the time. As well as displaying photos as 3-D images, the backs of  many of the cards have descriptions of the events -- nearly always as perceived through Western eyes. 

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It is interesting to note that Chinese merchants and workers have moved successfully into almost every country across the globe. The building of railroads across most of Canada and the US was accomplished due to the cheap and dedicated labour of Chinese male immigrants. Racist anti-Chinese laws were enacted in both countries to "keep them in their place," to enable white privilege, and to prevent the men from having their families join them from back in China. 

My wife's grandfather and father had to pay a Chinese head tax -- the equivalent of a year's wages -- for the privilege of entering our country. Their wives and children where not allowed in and survived back in China thanks to the hard-earned wages sent to them from the "Land of the Gold Mountain." Money set aside as savings was spent for rare trips back to China where another child was sired.

My wife and her mother were finally able to gain entry into Canada in the '50s when my wife was 10 years old. They and other members of the family overcame prejudice and the stress of long. hard work-days to succeed as doctors, lawyers, architects, business men, teachers, entrepreneurs, professors, accountants, dentists, entertainers, etc.

During the Donald Trump term (2016-2020), racist citizens were encouraged and inflamed by the rhetoric from the American president.  Asians in our two countries faced vicious, unwarranted prejudice again -- both in our homeland and in the "land of the free."