RenShiZhongGuo-KNOWING CHINA (CHN ED)

This paper is designed to clarify the scientific investigation phenomenon which has long been existed in western civilization with the example of ambassadorial mission headed by Sir George Macartney and the process of constructing non-western civilization knowledge with this kind of behavior. It tried to open a new path to study the mission with a new perspective. The information collected by the ambassadorial mission through scientific investigation not only promoted the comprehension about China by the western world, but also the information was further brought into the knowledge system so as to enlarge the gap between the Chines and western civilization power. The ambassadorial mission did not achieve the diplomatic task, but it took a new China outlook for the west. And Chinese did not understand the essence of the western civilization finally, which resulted in the frustrations facing the west during the following over 100 years. From this perspective, scientific investigation could be said as an only one successful task of the ambassadorial mission.