Summary: In this episode we look at the bittersweet reign of the Qianlong emperor. The longest reigning emperor in Chinese imperial history, the Qianlong era saw the most splendid three decades for the Manchu's of the Qing Dynasty. China reached its greatest territorial extent and was still the marvel of the world. But during the second half of the Qianlong era, Westerners became more aggressive in their ongoing attempts to increase China trade. In addition to Westerners and their demands for China to open up, domestic problems increasingly plagued the Qing emperor. The stage was being set for the turbulent 19th century. The remaining six Qing emperors were powerless to control the cataclysmic series of events that would change China forever.
