The Wanguo Quantu is a type of map that was developed by the Jesuits in the 1620s, within the context of the Jesuit China Missions

Jesuit China missions

The history of the missions of the Jesuits in China is part of the history of relations between China and the Western world. The missionary efforts and other work of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, between the 16th and 17th century played a significant role in continuing the transmission of...

.

Development

The Wanguo Quantu map was developed in the 1620s by the Jesuit Giulio Aleni following the earlier work of Matteo Ricci

Matteo Ricci

Matteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....

, who was the first Jesuit to speak Chinese

Chinese language

The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

 and to publish maps of the world in China from 1574 to 1603. Aleni modified Ricci's maps by responding to Chinese demands to have the Chinese Empire located at the center of the world map, resulting in the Sino-centric configuration of the Wanguo Quantu.

See also

• Shanhai Yudi Quantu
  Shanhai Yudi Quantu
  The Shanhai Yudi Quantu is a Chinese map which was published in 1607/1609 in the geographical treatise Sancai Tuhui .- Influences :The Shanhai Yudi Quantu is known to have be highly influenced by the Jesuit missions in China, starting with the work of Matteo Ricci...
  
  , a contemporary Chinese map inspired by Matteo Ricci's work.
• Cheonhado
  Cheonhado
  The Cheonhado , or sometimes Cheonha jeondo , is a peculiar type of circular world map developed in Korea during the 17th century...
  
  , a contemporary Korean circular world map.

External links

• Vatican exhibit