Today, we commemorate the 414th anniversary of the death of Matteo Ricci (October 6, 1552 – May 11, 1610), the “first person who bridged East and West”. As a pioneer of cultural exchange between China and the West, Matteo Ricci opened a new chapter in the exchange and mutual understanding between Chinese and Western civilizations, leaving a profound impact on China and the world.
Matteo Ricci came to China with an open and tolerant mindset, effectively breaking down the long-standing ideological barriers between the East and the West through the dissemination of Western science and culture. He introduced numerous advanced Western technologies in China, including self-timing clocks, maps, astronomical instruments, and prisms, greatly facilitating scientific and technological exchanges through public exhibitions of these achievements.
In 1602, Matteo Ricci’s creation of the Kunyu Wanguo Quantu marked a major breakthrough. This map was not only China’s first colored map of the world but also visually broke with Eurocentrism by placing eastern Asia at the center. The map expanded the Chinese people’s view of the world and introduced them to the concept of the “circle of the earth”, refreshing the traditional belief that “heaven is round and earth is square”.
In 1607, Matteo Ricci, together with Chinese scholar Xu Guangqi, translated the Elements of Geometry by Euclid, systematically introducing Euclid’s planar geometry to China. This collaboration changed the direction of mathematical research in China and contributed to the further development of Chinese mathematics. Ricci also collaborated with Xu Guangqi and Li Zhizao to translate several other important geometrical works, such as the Tongwen Jianzhi, the Measuring Method Yi, and the Huanrong Jieyi, making significant contributions to the study of mathematics and geography at that time.
In his later years, Matteo Ricci wrote “De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas”, also known as “Matteo Ricci’s Notes on China”, which provides a detailed record of his experiences in China from the late 16th century to the early 17th century. This work offer invaluable first-hand information for studying the social life of the Ming Dynasty and early cultural exchanges between China and the West, and it is now held in the TBC Library.
To commemorate Matteo Ricci’s historical contributions, TBC undertook a new translation and publication of his letters. In 2011, TBC selected five of the 54 extant Matteo Ricci letters for complete English translation. In 2019, TBC revised and expanded these translations, added new letters, and invited internationally renowned Matteo Ricci scholars to provide more in-depth interpretations and commentaries. Ultimately, TBC published Matteo Ricci: Letters from China to showcase Ricci’s cultural exchanges with China.
This year, TBC plans to publish a new book that aims to reinterpret the history of Matteo Ricci, Nan Huairen, Tang Ruowang and other emissaries of East-West exchange. By exploring the dialogue between different cultures through a contemporary lens, TBC continues to delve deeper into this cross-cultural historical journey.
Matteo Ricci died in Beijing on May 11, 1610, leaving a profound and lasting legacy for future generations. His work not only provided new impetus for the development of Chinese science and technology but also promoted the exchange and fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, helping to gradually integrate Chinese culture into global civilization. Additionally, he spread Chinese history and culture to the West, deepening cultural understanding between China and the West. Today, we still feel his deep understanding of Chinese culture and his passion for Sino-Western cultural exchanges in his writings, and his contributions will be permanently engraved in history.
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