A look at Sinologists through the centuries

Matteo Ricci arrived in Beijing with other Italian missionaries in the late 16th century.

They not only preached but also studied Chinese culture and translated Confucian classics into such Western languages as Italian and Latin.

It was a milestone in the history of foreigners studying China and introducing the country's culture to the West, says Gu Jun, deputy director of the International Institute of Chinese Studies in Beijing Foreign Studies University.