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Alessandro Valignano' Interpretation to Chinese Culture ISSN 1712-8056[Print] Canadian Social Science ISSN 1923-6697[Online] Vol. 15, No. 7, 2019, pp. 6-10 www.cscanada.net DOI:10.3968/11242 www.cscanada.org Alessandro Valignano’ Interpretation to Chinese Culture LIU Jianguo[a],*; WANG Yu[b] [a]Research Centre of Song History, Hebei University, Baoding, China; Foreign Languages School, Henan University of Science and INTRODUCTION Technology, Luoyang, China. Alessandro Valignano (1539-1606), an Italian missionary, [b]First Construction Corporation, China Petroleum Engineering & whose Chinese name was Fan Li’an, received a doctor Construction Corporation, Luoyang, China. of law when he was 19 years old. In 1574, Alessandro Research Centre of Song History, Hebei University, Baoding, China; Foreign Languages School, Henan University of Science and Valignano was sent to the East to preach, and died in Technology, Luoyang, China. Macao in 1606. During his 32 years of missionary *Corresponding author. service in the East, Alessandro Valignano, who served Received 18 March 2019; accepted 6 June 2019 as a regional inspector of all-India, an archbishop of the Published online 26 July 2019 Diocese of India, an inspector of Chinese and Japanese dioceses, and a member of the Catholic Church in India, contributed greatly to the spread of Catholicism in India, Abstract China and Japan from the end of the 16th century to the Alessandro Valignano was sent to the East for missionary beginning of the 17th century. Some Catholics praised work by the Society of Jesus in 1574 and died in Macao him for “the genius of Alexander and the martial arts of in 1606. During the 32 years of Eastern missionary General Anibar.”(Henri, 1933, p.139)Michel Ruggier work, he served as several posts and contributed greatly who was the First Jesuit in Mainland China, said that to the spread of Catholicism in India, China and Japan “he opened the China’s door which was closed very from the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the tightly with humility and perseverance,” (Zhang & Liu, 17th century. Especially, he was a far-sighted organizer 1987, p.16) while Bernard R. P. Henri who was French and planner of the Jesuit Missionary Strategy in China famous Jesuit Sinologist, said that he was “a stone for the during that time. He had made outstanding contributions construction of the Chinese church. Without his advocacy, including establishing a rational Chinese cultural outlook, it would not be easy to succeed in all sorts of great changing the missionary strategy in China, implementing undertakings. ” (Henri, 1933, p.143) the “cultural adaptation policy”, establishing a missionary school to train the missionaries who could master Chinese and be good at cross-cultural communication, so as to 1. ALESSANDRO VALIGNANO’S be suitable for the future of the Jesuit missionaries and remove some man-made obstacles to adapt to Chinese RATIONAL VIEW OF CHINESE CULTURE culture. Valignano took full advantage of the opportunity of Key words: Alessandro Valignano; Missionary touring all parts of East India after his appointment in strategy; Interpretation of Chinese culture Dagua in September 1574 to gain a detailed understanding of the various situations concerning China. He has met with missionaries in China many times to find out their Liu, J. G., & Wang, Y. (2019). Alessandro Valignano’ Interpretation to Chinese Culture. Canadian Social Science, 15(7), 6-10. Available views on the situation in China and their true feelings from: http://www.cscanada.net/index.php/css/article/view/11242 of missionary. With the exception of Macao, Valignano DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/11242 has not been to the mainland of China. Most of his knowledge was obtained from books and reports or talks from Chinese missionaries. After July 1578, Valignano Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 6 LIU Jianguo; WANG Yu (2019). Canadian Social Science, 15(7), 6-10 was in Macao for the first time for 10 months, as provided king; it is the most populous country in the world; no a good opportunity for him to study the situation in country in the world is more fertile and rich in food and China carefully. Since then, Valignano had also paid clothing; no country seems to have more wealth than any special attention to reading and collecting literature other country; no country seems to be as magnificent about China. “One of the first things to care about is to and prosperous as it is, and its inhabitants are the most actively search all kinds of (Chinese) books. Spare time industrious in the world; of all the discovered countries, at work is devoted to check out the Chinese books in his it is the most peaceful and best governed.” (Alessandro, room with the help of a few people who have gathered 1598/1896, p.84) As a Jesuit with a doctorate in law, together.” (Henri, 1933, pp.58-62)Through translation Valignano was more interested in the state of government, and with the help of the pictures in the books, Valignano which was more important than the other six stories. In had a deep understanding of China’s human history, this chapter, Valignano talked about the situation of the geographical conditions, daily life and social etiquette, king of China and his family. Its advantages were: the “eating, dressing, ceremonial, language, social customs, official could only pass the examination, it referred to etc., the seats of the guests, the form of the building, the the importance of the academic, the abundance of the furnishings of the interior, the appearance of medical collection of each city, and the general situation of the treatment and the education of children are all different natural philosophy, the ethical philosophy and the science; from those in Europe and some are quite the opposite, the general rank order was the most methodical in the but everything is reasonable.” (Henri, 1933, 249) Also form of the government he had seen in the world to date; include some maps of China, which reflected the cultural the decrees were carried out with drive and sweep; the situation in various parts of China, and “Valignano has removal of any obstacle in this country was a deliberate also referred to it briefly”. (Matteo, 1580-1609/1986, resort to peaceful means; the measures taken to disperse p.34) On the basis of some understanding of the actual the royal family in the provinces and officials were to progress of the missionary mission and the specific be taken to prevent the rebellion. As Bernard R. P. Henri situation in China, Valignano was trying to clarify the who was French famous Jesuit Sinologist pointed out very confusing situation in European records of China. that the original preacher’s discovery of the Chinese He took the opportunity to accept the instruction of the civilization, or “the first cause of the praise of the Jesuits Jesuit general to write “A Biography of St. Francisco is the organization of the Chinese city in comparison Xavier”, and to carefully screen and examine the various with the system of the 16th-century European and even materials collected from all over the world according to the whole world is that China is superior to Europe in the the principle of “very true and sure”. A more detailed and country system, and then is the ancient or ethical view of accurate account has been given of all aspects of China, the Chinese nation.”(Henri, 1937/1993, pp.65-71)This including “the people, towns, natural products, land and kind of knowledge is made by Valignano. Although he did fertility, court income, local wealth, inland taxation, not highly agree with the oriental culture, he was able to industrial management, government and internal affairs.” observe and study on the basis of the recognition of the (Alessandro, 1598/1896, p.54)Bernard R. P. Henri who value of the oriental culture and the equal treatment of the was French famous Jesuit Sinologist, called it “everything, bellicose who claimed the value of the oriental culture. a very complete reference book.” (Henri, 1933, p.250) However, in his book, Valignano pointed out the Therefore, in his book of St. Francisco Xavier, the shortcomings of the Chinese people and gave concrete historical, geographical, political and social customs of reports on the cruelty of the officials, the cowardice of China, most of which are adapted to the present situation the soldiers, the fear of foreign affairs and the mentality in China. “Although they were old works of 300 years of xenophobia, rape and theft, and so on. (Henri, 1933, ago, they can still be fully recorded today.” (Henri, 1933, p.249) p.250) Valignano’s understanding of the superiority of Chinese civilization was mainly reflected in the third 2. TO IMPLEMENT THE “CULTURAL chapter, “Chinese Wonders”, in his book “A Biography ADAPTATION” MISSIONARY STRATEGY of St. Francisco Xavier”, which was intended to make Francisco Xavier’s missionary work in China failed, and the Europeans really understand Chinese civilization his wish was realized 20 years later when Valignano who and break the fixed attitude that Europe is the world. He followed Francisco Xavier and had an important influence wrote: “China can be said to be different from the other on the spread of Catholicism in China, took the post of kingdoms of the East, but it has to surpass them; this is Far Eastern Christian Patrol. the most important and abundant thing in the whole East; During his first stay in Macao in 1578, Valignano It is very similar to Europe in a number of ways, such as visited Chinese missionaries, and talked to Andoni, who abundance, perfection, and in many places.” (Alessandro, had attended Francisco Xavier’s deathbed, in order to 1598/1896, p.83) Then he listed the seven advantages understand the ideas and deeds of this forerunner.
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