The Qing Dynasty has always pursued this policy of closing the country to the outside world, although this policy seems to us today to have no example, but in the Qing Dynasty, the anti-Qing and restoration forces should not be underestimated, so the Manchu Qing rulers at that time pursued a policy of closing the country to prevent the influx of this anti-tilting force.
Of course, on the other hand, it is indeed harmful and unprofitable, and the rulers of the Qing Dynasty strictly implemented this policy in order to prevent the people from enlightening their minds after contact with foreign advanced ideas and bring disasters to their rule.
Although the whole country was in a closed state, the Kangxi Emperor was very enlightened, and he was very willing to come into contact with foreign novelties. Not only did he like to learn Western musical instruments, but he often consulted with missionaries for a lot of fresh knowledge, such as astronomy and geography.
Missionaries were able to use the scientific knowledge they had learned to draw maps of the Qing Dynasty and maps of Beijing thanks to the support of the Kangxi Emperor. Although the Kangxi Emperor was very fond of Western knowledge, he had an interesting story with something in the West.
Because of the policy of seclusion, the people of the Qing Dynasty never came into contact with Western medicines, but because the Kangxi Emperor was a relatively enlightened person, he would also try Western drugs when he had no choice. When the Kangxi Emperor was 39 years old, he was infected with malaria for some reason, and countless doctors in the palace could not treat it, although there were relevant folk remedies, but no one dared to experiment on the Kangxi Emperor, after all, once there was a deviation, it was necessary to lose his head.
But he couldn't watch the Kangxi Emperor lose weight day by day, so the palace posted a notice seeking someone who could cure the Kangxi Emperor of malaria. It didn't take long for two missionaries from France to hear about it, and they had successfully cured the Kangxi Emperor's malaria with the Western medicine cinchona cream.
Later, somehow, the Kangxi Emperor heard that there were two miraculous medicines in the West, namely Lyaggar and chocolate. So the Kangxi Emperor found a missionary named He Shiheng and wanted him to find these two magical drugs. Later, Heshiheng found a missionary from Italy, Doro, and after listening to Heshiheng's remarks, Doro said that he only had chocolate, not Lyaga. So Heshiheng had to take all of Doro's chocolate and have Doro take it in person to prove that it was non-toxic before offering it to the Kangxi Emperor.
However, the Kangxi Emperor did not understand the medicinal effects of chocolate, so He Shiheng wrote an instruction manual of more than 900 words. Later, Doro told Heshiheng that it was just a snack, and Heshiheng had to tell the emperor truthfully, and the Kangxi Emperor tasted a bite of chocolate and felt that the taste was nothing special, even bitter, so he never ate it again.
He Shiheng's painstaking efforts were wasted, and he also found someone to write an instruction manual of more than 900 words for no reason.