You might have heard the Italian name Ricci – perhaps Ricci Hall, one of the oldest residential halls at HKU. But do you know who Matteo Ricci was? The man who made this Italian name famous in China.
Who was Matteo Ricci?
Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was one of the first Jesuit missionaries who tried to spread Christianity in China. He was born in Macerata, a small town in central Italy with a population of just under thirteen thousand. At the age of 20, Ricci was admitted to the Roman College, a Jesuit university renowned for its expertise in natural philosophy.
Hmm, what exactly was natural philosophy? Mathematics, astronomy, music, geography, and more technical disciplines like mechanics and architecture. For example, how to craft a globe? Students needed to study knowledge of the cosmos and acquire manual skills about making a globe. So, yes, young Ricci studied at a university of science and technology!
After five years of training, 25-year-old Ricci was all set for a religious career in the faraway land. He left Rome for Portugal in 1577. After a year of waiting, he boarded a ship bound for India. Considering limited navigation techniques at that time, travel by sea was very perilous – not to mention the unsanitary conditions, germs, and the threat of pirates. Ricci risked his life to make his way to China.
An exquisite human being – NOT a “barbarian”!
Ricci disembarked in Goa, a Portuguese colony in India in 1578. He stayed there for four years until he finally received instruction to go to Macao in 1582 – another Portuguese colony at the Chinese border. However, China at that time, ruled by Emperor Wanli 萬曆 of the Ming Dynasty, had no immigration department. How could the young Italian missionary obtain a visa to enter inland?
Ricci stayed in the Canton region for more than a decade, dedicating himself to mastering the Chinese language, culture, and customs. He adopted the Chinese name 利瑪竇(號西泰), learned how to dress, speak, and live the lifestyle of a Chinese scholar.
What was his goal in all the efforts? To impress the Chinese elite – he is NOT a “barbarian”, but a well-educated man from a refined culture. Here is a firsthand account of Ricci from a Chinese scholar Li Zhi 李贄 (1527-1602), who met Ricci around 1599-1600:
“There is scarcely a Chinese book he has not read…Now he is fully able to speak the language of our country, to write using our characters, and to practice our rituals. He is an exquisite human being.”
The rest is history. Ricci gained fame among the Chinese elite and was eventually summoned to the Forbidden Palace in Beijing by Emperor Wanli in 1601. He was permitted to live in Beijing, where he made the Ricci map. He remained there, never back to Europe, until he died in 1610.
Finally, if you are interested in Ricci’s demeanor and appearance, read the English translation of Li Zhi’s letter and poem in our e-book collection (HKUST Login Required). Eager to test your level of classical Chinese? Here is Li’s poem “To Matteo Ricci from Far West”:
贈利西泰
逍遙下北溟，迤儷向南征。
剎利標名姓，仙山紀水程。
回頭十萬里，舉目九重城。
觀國之光未？中天日正明。
Check out Li’s book and enjoy!
Shirley Zhang
Librarian (Archives & Special Collections)
lbshirley@ust.hk
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