Where did the Chinese term "yang ren," Western peoples, come from? For how long was this term used?

by [deleted]

I always hear this term, "洋人" ("Yang Ren"), in Chinese period films and television shows whenever the Chinese are referring to Westerners. Where did this term originate, why is it "yang ren," and for how long was this term used until some other term took over as the main definition for Westerners?

When_Ducks_Attack

Submitting the same question one hour apart is generally not a great idea.