Matteo Ricci Arrives in Macau

Timeline

1. 1582Macau · MacauJesuit visitor Alessandro Valignano strongly advocated a policy of cultural accommodation in missions, summoning Ricci from Goa, India, to Macau to prepare for mission work in inland China. On August 7, 1582, Ricci arrived in Portuguese Macau, opening the Jesuit entry into the Ming dynasty.
2. 1582–1583Macau · MacauDuring his time in Macau, Ricci systematically studied Chinese and Chinese characters with a language teacher, studied Confucian classics and Chinese rites and customs, and together with Valignano formulated a mission policy centered on cultural accommodation (accommodatio): appearing in Confucian dress and using science as a medium, preparing for entry into inland China.
3. 1583Zhaoqing · Guangdong ProvinceIn September 1583, Ricci and Michele Ruggieri, invited by Guangdong governor Wang Pan, formally entered mainland China and settled in Zhaoqing. Wearing Confucian robes and using Western astronomy, mathematics, and cartography as a medium, Ricci befriended Ming literati, pioneering the Jesuits' cultural accommodation approach in China and ushering Sino-Western cultural exchange into a new stage.