Libraries share data to trace ancient Chinese books

Although some Italian priests famously came to China in the late 16th century, large numbers of Western missionaries only stepped into the country after the 1840s, when the Middle Kingdom was forced to open its gates to the Western world in the aftermath of the first Opium War.

The missionaries took myriad Chinese books and written records of their religious missions back to their home countries.

A new book released by the publishing house affiliated with the National Library of China now attempts to clarify the long-hidden history.