Andreas Everardus van Braam Houckgeest was a Dutch-American merchant who is mostly known for his participation in the last Dutch embassy to China under the tributary system.
Illustration depicting the last European delegation to be received at the Qianlong Court in 1795 -- Isaac Titsingh (seated European with hat, far right) and A.E. van Braam Houckgeest (seated European without hat). This nearly-contemporaneous artwork had been specifically commissioned by van Braam for inclusion in his 1798 book describing the Titsingh's mission to "Pekin" three years earlier.
Portrait of Catharina van Braam Houckgeest by unknown artist
Van Braam's account of the Titsingh mission was initially written in French and published in Philadelphia. This is the title page from the second printing in 1798.
Kowtow
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A kowtow is the act of deep respect shown by prostration, that is, kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground. In Sinospheric culture, the kowtow is the highest sign of reverence. It was widely used to show reverence for one's elders, superiors, and especially the Emperor of China, as well as for religious and cultural objects of worship. In modern times, usage of the kowtow has been reduced.
Kowtowing in Chinese funeral rituals
A kowtowing official, Song dynasty
Vietnamese graduates pay gratitude by performing a Kowtow for their teachers during the Confucian court examination in 1897.