Historians noted that Yongchang residents’ European features were unsurprising, as records indicate that European traders intermarried and settled in Western China. - Photo: Douyin
BEIJING: In the remote village of Liqian, nestled in northwestern China’s Gansu province, a captivating myth once captured global attention and sparked an intriguing question: are the local people descendants of a lost Roman legion?
In the 1990s, the presence of Romanesque architecture and the villagers’ European traits – evident in their facial features – fuelled speculation regarding these potential connections. However, subsequent DNA testing and historical research have since debunked this myth.
