ABSTRACT
On 6 March 1698, the Amphitrite, a 500-tonne vessel commanded by Chevalier de la Roque, sailed from La Rochelle, anchoring in the river at Canton on 2 November of the same year. It was largely because of Ricci that the centre of gravity of Sino-European relations shifted from Macao to Beijing and ultimately penetrated even to the heart of the palace. It is fitting that they should figure from the outset in the exhibition "Beijing Versailles" held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art from 28 April to 16 June and organised by the Musee Guimet. Nevertheless, the political stakes must have outweighed the religious ones in his decision to initiate relations with Asia. Contrary to general interpretation, cultural relations between the two countries continued during the 19th century, as evidenced by some hundred grammatical lexicons and dictionaries in the different dialects of various national minorities.
