The Cultural Affairs Bureau hosted the book launch of Atlas of China by Michele Ruggieri at 6:00pm on 30th May in the IACM Building Library. Professor Jin Guoping, who coordinates the translation project of this book, delivered an introduction to the book launch. The launch of this new book has also been previously held in Rome to resounding praise and was enthusiastically received by professionals and academics there.
Present at the ceremony were the President of Cultural Affairs Bureau of MSAR, Dr. Ung Vai Meng, President of Executive Committee, Macau Foundation, Mr. Ng Chi Leong, President of Macao Polytechnic Institute, Professor Lei Heong Iok, Director of Macau Ricci Institute, Father Artur Wardega, Professor of the Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Dr. Tang Kaijian and Visiting Professor of China Research Centre of Overseas Sinology of the Beijing Foreign Studies University, Dr. Jin Guoping.
Italian Jesuit Michele Ruggieri learned Chinese and Chinese culture in Macao and proactively opened the door for Sino-Western cultural interaction. Later, he became a pioneer of cultural communication familiar to Chinese people. Ruggieri passed away in 1607, leaving the unpublished manuscript of Atlas of China, which includes 33 maps of various Chinese provinces. He introduces the natural and administrative geography of the two capitals and the 13 provinces of China. The book comprises basic facts about products and the distribution of military power in different political districts, demonstrating the geographical situation of the Chinese to the West in detail for the first time.
Atlas of China was published by the State Mint and Polygraphic Institute of Italy and State Library in 1993 in its original languages – Italian and Latin - under the title Atlante della Cina di Michele Ruggieri, S.I. The Cultural Affairs Bureau specially invited professionals to translate the book based on this version and added a great number of research papers written by academics. The book employs a high-quality copy of Michele Ruggieri’s manuscript and is also the first print of its Chinese translation. These contribute to the book’s value for collection and research.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture, China and State Archives of Rome, Macao Museum took the opportunity of the ‘2012 China-EU Year of Intercultural Dialogue’ to join hands with the State Archives of Rome to host a large-scale relics exhibition entitled Journey to the Ends of the World: Michele Ruggieri and Jesuits in China in 2012. In addition, the museum and Centre of Macau Studies of the University of Macau co-hosted the Symposium on Atlas of China by Michele Ruggieri last year. On this occasion, the Cultural Affairs Bureau released Atlas of China by Michele Ruggieri in Chinese, Portuguese and English, included as one of the serial projects of the ‘China-EU Year of Intercultural Dialogue’ by the Ministry of Culture, China.
The book features the multi-lingual translation of Latin, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, English and other languages. We are honoured to be assisted by a number of professionals and academics. Renowned scholar Prof. Jin Guoping assumed the responsibilities of general co-ordination and Chinese translation, helped by Dr. Rui d’Ávila Lourido, Dr. Elisabetta Colla, Dr. Yang Xiuling, Dr. Zhang Ran and other persons. The book also includes monographs penned by Prof. Eugenio Lo Sardo, Prof. Jin Guoping and Prof. António Vasconcelos de Saldanha so that readers may understand the historical background of the maps in depth.
Atlas of China by Michele Ruggieri retails at MOP1,000. It is available from Plaza Cultural Macau, Starlight Bookstore (Seng Kwong Bookstore), Historical Archives of Macao, Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre, Livraria Portuguesa (IPOR) and Public Information Centre in Vicky Plaza on Rua do Campo. Readers who are interested may purchase the book in these locations. For enquiries, please telephone Ms. Ng of the Cultural Affairs Bureau on (853) 8399 6484.
