The concept of '大西洋' (Daxiyang) in Chinese culture was not borrowed from overseas but created based on traditional terms like '西洋' (Xiyang) and '小西洋' (Xiaoxiyang). It originally referred to the Arabian Peninsula on the northern coast of the Indian Ocean. Over time, it evolved to include the North Atlantic region, especially after Jesuit missionaries introduced it to China. Before the Opium War, '大西洋' had three main meanings: a general term for Europe, a specific area in the North Atlantic, and references to European countries like Portugal. The concept's evolution from Ming to Qing dynasties was influenced by political and cultural relations with Central Europe. Despite some resistance to the idea of '大西洋' as a political entity equal to China, the term expanded to encompass the entire North Atlantic region, reflecting changing attitudes towards Western culture and knowledge in Ming and Qing China.