Michael Alphonsus Shen Fu-Tsung, SJ, also known as Michel Sin, Michel Chin-fo-tsoung, Shen Fo-tsung, or Shen Fuzong[1] (Chinese: 沈福宗; pinyin: Shěn Fúzōng; Wade–Giles: Shen Fu-tsung, c. 1658 – 1691),[2][3] was a Chinese mandarin and Jesuit from Nanking.
He was a convert to Catholicism who was brought to Europe by the FlemishJesuit priest Philippe Couplet, Procurator of the China Jesuit Missions in Rome. They left Macau in 1681 and visited together Flanders, Italy, France, and England. He later became a Jesuit in Portugal and died near Mozambique while returning home.
Michael Shen Fu-Tsung arrived with Philippe Couplet by boat from Portuguese Macau in October 1682. They visited the city where Couplet was born, Mechelen. They then left for Rome, where Couplet tried to obtain a Papal authorization to celebrate mass in Chinese.[4]
Franceedit
Michael's Chinese name in characters: 沈福宗 ("Shen Fu-Tsung")[3]
Shen was presented to King Louis XIV on September 15, 1684, and he demonstrated how to use chopsticks and how to write Chinese characters.[5] He is described as participating in a royal dinner with Couplet, wearing green silk with deep blue brocade, decorated with Chinese dragons.[4] They also visited the Maison royale de Saint-Louis, where they set up a display of Chinese silk portraits.[4]
England and later lifeedit
After his visit in France, Shen Fu-Tsung also went to Oxford where he met with Thomas Hyde in 1685,[6] and he taught him some Chinese.[7] Shen Fu-Tsung apparently communicated in Latin.[8]
Shen Fu-Tsung also met with King James II.[9] It is the first recorded instance of a Chinese man visiting Britain.[10] The king was so delighted by this visit that he had his portrait made, and had it hung in his bedroom.[10]
Shen Fu-Tsung was able to catalogue the Chinese books that were present in the Bodleian Library, and to describe their content, something which nobody had been able to do until then.[10] He also showed the librarian the correct way to hold a Chinese book, starting with which way was up.[10]
Shen Fu-Tsung left England in 1688 and went to Lisbon, where he entered the Society of Jesus. He died in September 1691 of a shipboard fever as he was returning to China, somewhere near Portuguese Mozambique.[1]
See alsoedit
Zheng Manuo, the first Chinese international student in Europe and the first Chinese Jesuit priest
Arcadio Huang, another Chinese man who was active in France a few years after Shen Fu-Tsung
Louis Fan (convert), another Chinese scholar (and later Catholic priest) who visited Europe in the early eighteenth century
Notesedit
^ abSpence, Jonathan (May 20, 2010). . National Endowment for the Humanities. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011.
^Batchelor, Robert K. "Shen Fuzong". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/95020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ abChinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome By Albert Chan (2002) ISBN0-7656-0828-6 p.395
^ abcDavid E. Mungello Curious Land: Jesuit Accommodation and the Origins of Sinology (1989) University of Hawaii Press ISBN0-8248-1219-0 p. 255
^The Meeting of Eastern and Western Art by Michael Sullivan (1989) ISBN0-520-21236-3 p. 98
^Lewis A. Maverick review of A Cycle of Cathay: The Chinese Vogue in England During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. by William W. Appleton. In The Far Eastern Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Feb., 1952), pp. 246-247
^ abcdBBC Quote: Dr David Helliwell of Oxford University describes how Shen was the first person to catalogue the Chinese collection in the Bodleian Library, showing the librarian which way up to hold Chinese books as well as what they contained.
Referencesedit
The Far Eastern Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Feb., 1952)
Keevak, Michael (2004) The Pretended Asian: George Psalmanazar's Eighteenth-century Formosan Hoax Wayne State University Press ISBN0-8143-3198-X
Ballaster, Rosalind (2005) Fables of the East: Selected Tales 1662-1785 Oxford University Press ISBN0-19-926734-0
Mungello, David E. (1989) Curious Land: Jesuit Accommodation and the Origins of Sinology, University of Hawaii Press, ISBN0-8248-1219-0
November 28, 2023
michael, shen, tsung, michael, alphonsus, shen, tsung, also, known, michel, michel, chin, tsoung, shen, tsung, shen, fuzong, chinese, 沈福宗, pinyin, shěn, fúzōng, wade, giles, shen, tsung, 1658, 1691, chinese, mandarin, jesuit, from, nanking, michael, alphonsus,. Michael Alphonsus Shen Fu Tsung SJ also known as Michel Sin Michel Chin fo tsoung Shen Fo tsung or Shen Fuzong 1 Chinese 沈福宗 pinyin Shen Fuzōng Wade Giles Shen Fu tsung c 1658 1691 2 3 was a Chinese mandarin and Jesuit from Nanking Michael Alphonsus Shen Fu TsungSJThe Chinese Convert a portrait of Shen Fu Tsung by Sir Godfrey Kneller 1687Bornc 1658 Nanking ChinaDied1691 aged approximately 33 MozambiqueOccupationMandarinKnown forBeing an early Chinese visitor to Western EuropeChinese nameChinese沈福宗TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinShen FuzōngWade GilesShen Fu tsungHe was a convert to Catholicism who was brought to Europe by the Flemish Jesuit priest Philippe Couplet Procurator of the China Jesuit Missions in Rome They left Macau in 1681 and visited together Flanders Italy France and England He later became a Jesuit in Portugal and died near Mozambique while returning home Contents 1 Visit to Europe 1 1 Flanders and Rome 1 2 France 1 3 England and later life 2 See also 3 Notes 4 ReferencesVisit to Europe editFlanders and Rome edit Michael Shen Fu Tsung arrived with Philippe Couplet by boat from Portuguese Macau in October 1682 They visited the city where Couplet was born Mechelen They then left for Rome where Couplet tried to obtain a Papal authorization to celebrate mass in Chinese 4 France edit nbsp Michael s Chinese name in characters 沈福宗 Shen Fu Tsung 3 Shen was presented to King Louis XIV on September 15 1684 and he demonstrated how to use chopsticks and how to write Chinese characters 5 He is described as participating in a royal dinner with Couplet wearing green silk with deep blue brocade decorated with Chinese dragons 4 They also visited the Maison royale de Saint Louis where they set up a display of Chinese silk portraits 4 England and later life edit After his visit in France Shen Fu Tsung also went to Oxford where he met with Thomas Hyde in 1685 6 and he taught him some Chinese 7 Shen Fu Tsung apparently communicated in Latin 8 Shen Fu Tsung also met with King James II 9 It is the first recorded instance of a Chinese man visiting Britain 10 The king was so delighted by this visit that he had his portrait made and had it hung in his bedroom 10 Shen Fu Tsung was able to catalogue the Chinese books that were present in the Bodleian Library and to describe their content something which nobody had been able to do until then 10 He also showed the librarian the correct way to hold a Chinese book starting with which way was up 10 Shen Fu Tsung left England in 1688 and went to Lisbon where he entered the Society of Jesus He died in September 1691 of a shipboard fever as he was returning to China somewhere near Portuguese Mozambique 1 See also editZheng Manuo the first Chinese international student in Europe and the first Chinese Jesuit priest Arcadio Huang another Chinese man who was active in France a few years after Shen Fu Tsung China France relations Chinese diaspora in France Jesuit China missions Louis Fan convert another Chinese scholar and later Catholic priest who visited Europe in the early eighteenth centuryNotes edit a b Spence Jonathan May 20 2010 When Minds Met China and the West in the Seventeenth Century National Endowment for the Humanities Archived from the original on June 15 2011 Batchelor Robert K Shen Fuzong Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 95020 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome By Albert Chan 2002 ISBN 0 7656 0828 6 p 395 a b c David E Mungello Curious Land Jesuit Accommodation and the Origins of Sinology 1989 University of Hawaii Press ISBN 0 8248 1219 0 p 255 The Meeting of Eastern and Western Art by Michael Sullivan 1989 ISBN 0 520 21236 3 p 98 Lewis A Maverick review of A Cycle of Cathay The Chinese Vogue in England During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries by William W Appleton In The Far Eastern Quarterly Vol 11 No 2 Feb 1952 pp 246 247 Ballaster p 262 The Dragon and the Eagle The Presence of China in the American Enlightenment Alfred Owen Aldridge 1993 p 17 Keevak p 38 a b c d BBC Quote Dr David Helliwell of Oxford University describes how Shen was the first person to catalogue the Chinese collection in the Bodleian Library showing the librarian which way up to hold Chinese books as well as what they contained References editThe Far Eastern Quarterly Vol 11 No 2 Feb 1952 Keevak Michael 2004 The Pretended Asian George Psalmanazar s Eighteenth century Formosan Hoax Wayne State University Press ISBN 0 8143 3198 X Ballaster Rosalind 2005 Fables of the East Selected Tales 1662 1785 Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 926734 0 Mungello David E 1989 Curious Land Jesuit Accommodation and the Origins of Sinology University of Hawaii Press ISBN 0 8248 1219 0 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michael Shen Fu Tsung amp oldid 1168561877, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
