ABSTRACT
When the Jesuit father Matteo Ricci arrived in South China in 1582, he first wore a Buddhist robe in order to integrate himself with the Chinese way of life and to prepare for his task of evangelism. With the passage of years, he became aware that the religious habit did not aid his enterprise. So it was that he arrived in Peking in 1601 dressed as a member of the ruling class in the civil robes of the literati and he was received by officials.
