Zongli Yamen - Meaning of Name

Meaning of Name

Zongli yamen is a traditional abbreviation of the official name in Chinese, Zongli Geguo Shiwu Yamen (simplified Chinese: 总理各国事务衙门; traditional Chinese: 總理各國事務衙門; pinyin: Zǒnglǐ gèguó shìwù yámén), literally meaning "Office in charge of Affairs of All Nations". The corresponding name in Manchu, the other official language of the Qing Empire, was Geren gurun i baita be uherileme icihiyara yamun. A common misconception is that the Yamen's name means the "Premier's Office". This arose because the word Zongli (总理) is now used in Chinese to refer to the Premier or Prime Minister of a country. In fact, the name Zongli Yamen is an abbreviation of its full name, which makes it the bona fide office of foreign affairs.