A visitor walks into the Matteo Ricci exhibition at the Capital Museum of China in Beijing on February 24, 2010. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Yang Yang]

by Yang Yang

An exhibition of Sino-Western Science, Technology and Culture has opened at Beijing's Capital Museum. The exhibition follows the footsteps of Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit priest who created the first cultural bridge between China and the West.

This year marks the 400th anniversary of Ricci's death. Born in 1552, Matteo Ricci first came to China as a missionary at the end of the 16th century, during China's Ming Dynasty and Italy's Renaissance. As the first European who brought western science, technology and arts to China, Matteo Ricci helped open a window for ancient China to the outside world. Moreover, he was also enthusiastic about learning the Chinese language and culture and promoting them in Italy and the West.

Filippo Mignini, curator of the exhibition who was in charge of three previous exhibitions on Ricci, namely in Italy's Macerata, and Rome in 2003 and 2005 respectively, and Berlin in 2005, says the essence of the exhibition is to recall the connection of the two nations' cultures.

"This exhibition emphasizes the connection between the scholars and artists of the two countries. Their painstaking contributions, shining wisdom and noble morality have created such splendid cultures in the East and the West, and thus helped form the whole world's civilization."

"Friendship" and "exchange" are the two keywords of Matteo Ricci's journey to China. The first part of the exhibit reconstructs the cultural and artistic fabric of the West in Ricci's time, the years of the high Renaissance. The second part presents the world that Matteo Ricci found in China when he arrived in the country and his engagement with the Chinese people.

A selection of 200 works from leading Italian and Chinese museums are presented in the Capital Museum. On display for the first time are paintings by some of the most important Italian artists of the time, including Raphael, Titan, and Lorento Lotto. People can also see tapestries, pottery, documents, and scientific instruments, which testify to the completeness and importance of the grafts of European knowledge and experience in China.

Yao An, the deputy director of the Capital Museum, said the Chinese exhibits evoke fundamental aspects of the Chinese civilization of Ricci's time: the language, writing, books, the three great religions, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Also on display are the works produced by Ricci and his Chinese friends, maps and scientific instruments.

"Matteo Ricci started his missionary career at 26 and soon he came to China and stayed here until his death at 58, so he almost spent half his life in China. He had an extraordinarily deep understanding of Chinese culture. Thus the Chinese part of this exhibition focuses on recalling the culture he encountered and promoting this to the West."

One visitor named Liu Meisheng who is a doctor and cultural enthusiast says the exhibition has helped him change his opinion about Ricci. In the past he considered Ricci as merely a missionary from the West, who spread western culture and thoughts within China. After seeing the exhibition he realized Ricci's role in scientific and technological exchange was more important than he initially thought.

"Ricci's missionary work was not his major contribution to China. His efforts to introduce the country to science and technology were even more important. For example he drew two world maps and sent them to local governments when he first arrived in Guangzhou and Nanjing."

2010 is not only the fourth centenary of the death of Father Matteo Ricci, but also the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Italy. The Italian Ambassador to China Riccardo Sessa considers the exhibition to be of great importance to both China and Italy.

The exhibition will run in Beijing until March the 20th this year, and then travels to Shanghai and Nanjing.