ABSTRACT

During his brief period in Beijing Sohy n came under the influence of Fr Adam Schall von Bell, one of the Jesuit astronomers who had founded a Board of Calendrics in 1629 and would soon be put in charge of the Bureau of Rites. They had revised the calendar on Gregorian lines and Sohy n was able to take back to Korea a globe, a calendar, and more books of 'Western Learning'. He was apparently also sympathetic towards Christianity and brought back with him a small group of Chinese lay people, of whom five were eunuchs and three female attendants, making them easy to accommodate within the court.