Matteo Ricci and Western Science in China

Matteo Ricci was an Italian Jesuit missionary, mathematician, and cartographer who pioneered cultural and scientific exchanges between Europe and Ming China. After mastering Chinese, he collaborated with scholars like Xu Guangqi to translate Western mathematical texts, such as Euclid’s *Elements*, and published the world map *Kunyu Wanguo Quantu*. By introducing European astronomy, mathematics, and cartography while respecting Confucian traditions, Ricci established a foundation for Sino-Western intellectual exchange.

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