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| Research on the Publication and Dissemination of the Chinese Books of Western Learning in the 17th and 18th Centuries |
| ZHANG Xiping1,2,XU Donghao1,HUANG Yimei2,* |
1. Beijing Language and Culture University, 100083, Beijing, China 2. International Institute of Chinese Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, 100089, Beijing, China |
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Abstract Chinese history witnessed two major instances of large-scale assimilation of foreign cultures: the introduction of Buddhism during the Han Dynasty and the arrival of Catholicism during the Ming-Qing transition. The latter initiated substantial cultural exchange between China and the West, generating an extensive collection of "Chinese Works on Western Learning." From the perspective of mutual learning among civilizations, the publication and dissemination of these texts deserve in-depth study in the context of Chinese publishing history. This paper examines the emergence of a new category of Chinese texts during the Ming-Qing period that translated, published, and responded to European culture, contextualizing this development within the broader history of Sino-Western cultural exchange and evaluating the significance of "Chinese Works on Western Learning." During the 17th–18th centuries, as Chinese and Western cultures encountered and engaged in dialogue, missionaries in China used book publishing as a primary evangelization strategy. Books became the most effective medium for bridging Eastern and Western civilizations, facilitating both cultural collision and mutual understanding and perception. Many of the linguistic and lexical innovations introduced through these publications were incorporated into everyday Chinese usage, with some persisting to the present day, and continuing to influence contemporary Chinese cognitive frameworks and discourse. This paper then discusses the academic efforts since the late Qing Dynasty to collect, catalog, reproduce, and systematically compile these works. This bibliographic endeavor can be traced back to 1615, encompassing early compilations of prefaces by Chinese literati (some of whom were Jesuit collaborators) for Western-learning texts and Ming Dynasty official documents concerning the treatment of missionaries. This paper further analyzes the scholarly significance of "Chinese Works on Western Learning" for civilizational dialogue and mutual learning. The publication and dissemination of these materials will undoubtedly significantly impact research in Ming-Qing history, including the history of Chinese intellectual culture, Chinese Catholicism, translation history, linguistic evolution, and Western Sinology and global history. Moreover, they offer valuable insights for contemporary publishing practices in cross-cultural exchange. As a vehicle for cultural transmission, the publication and dissemination of Chinese Works on Western Learning during the Ming-Qing transition represents a remarkable chapter in the history of Sino-Western cultural exchange, with intellectual implications that continue to influence world civilizations to this day. The systematic collection and scholarly compilation of these works constitute essential academic research for Chinese publishing history, history of science and technology, religious history, and linguistic evolution - a mission that remains incomplete and demands continued efforts. Particularly as China reclaims its central position on the global stage, it is imperative to explore when and how Chinese civilization first encountered Western civilization, and to examine the academic legacy left by their three-century dialogue (1500-1800). This represents an essential scholarly work that the publishing community must undertake from the perspective of inter-civilizational communication and mutual learning.
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Published: 19 August 2025
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Corresponding Authors:
Yimei HUANG
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