Foreign traveler who became the first local

Italian missionary Matteo Ricci came to China 400 years ago and never left.

He created a map, which showed Chinese intellectuals of the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) the known globe. For the first time, they saw the wider world beyond Asia.

An exhibition showcasing his legacy has been brought to Beijing from his native Marche region. The show displays 72 Italian artworks and relics, and 62 Chinese artifacts from the Ming Dynasty. It explores Ricci's life from his arrival in China in 1552 until his death in 1610 and the exchanges between China and the West during the period.