Arab sailors mastered the sea route to China, sailing from ports on the Persian Gulf and passing through the Strait of Malacca before reaching Canton (Goldstein, Israel & Conroy, 1991). Studies on the historical relations between China and the Islamic world are countless. Adrian Hsia protests: "There is not yet a single book examining the image or vision of China in English literature, although monographs on the reception of China in French and German literature have existed since the beginning of this century” (Hsia, 1998). ). This is also true for Arabic literature. This essay is a preliminary attempt to investigate one dimension of international relations between the Arabs as an ethnic group and China as an imaginary kingdom. This article focuses on the nature of Arabic imagery in the context of the initial image of China found in Arabic literature, historical context as a contextual basis for historicity determinations, and the function of such representation in historical-literary discourse, taking into account the close and complex connection between such images in literary and explanatory prose. Contextualizing the Arab image of China, Al-Qazwini (1203-1283 AD) wrote: “a vast country in the east, its breadth greater than its length. They say: [There are] about three hundred cities within a month's radius, and an abundance of water, and many trees, and an abundance of goods and fruits. It is one of God's most beautiful and magnificent lands, and its people are the most beautiful in appearance and most skilled in complex industries. But their size is short and their head is giant. Their dresses are made of silk and their jewelry is made of rhinoceros and elephant bones. Their religion is based on ido... middle of paper ... It touches on what is most intrinsic and fundamental to any society or culture. However, we can also say that this perspective is also multifaceted, because it evolves with the customs and concerns of each era. Therefore, a society's view toward outsiders may sometimes be one of disinterest, curiosity, enthusiastic approval, or unfair condescension or hatred. But the reasons for this enthusiasm or this repulsion are in themselves always enlightening” (Gernet, 1994). A more ambitious task that has not been attempted here would be to assimilate early Arabic literary images of China with non-literary contributions. The results of this introductory research should pave the way for other researchers to study Arabic imagery in more depth, in a more systematic way, in order to constitute an inter-genre discourse that can serve as a basis for in-depth studies on Arabic imagology..