Theatre

The young Matteo Ricci crossed the seas to the remote land of China in the East to spread the Christian faith. Before him were two choices: should he insist on transposing the then Western Catholic creeds onto China, or shed his own beliefs and uphold Chinese rituals and customs? He courageously chose a third path that no one before him had dared to take. He learned the Chinese language, strived to understand and appreciate Chinese culture with an open mind, and struck up friendships with courtiers and commoners alike. He devoted his energy and time to put his profound knowledge, discourse in literature, science, protocol, philosophy and religion to use, and finally forged the “Directives of Matteo Ricci” which was going to be a useful bridge between the cultures of East and West.