Western Missionaries' Publishing Activities In Guangzhou And Macau During Ming And Qing Dynasties (1581-1840s)

In the late 16th century, the Jesuits arrived in Macao by the European merchants' ships, then they tried to enter the mainland of China through Guangzhou to spread Catholicism. The Missionaries printed variety of books in Guangzhou and Macau to enhance the development of Catholicism. It was Michele Ruggieri, who published the first book by the xylographic process in Guangzhou, started the publishing activities. In 1588, Alexandre Valignano set up the first western press in the College of the Mother of God at Macao. This printing press, which had complete fount of metal types, was a milestone in the history of publishing at Macau. Because of the prohibition against the Catholicism in China, the missionaries published only a few books during the early 18^th century. It was not until Protestant missionary Robert Morrison arrived in Guangzhou one hundred years later that the western missionaries' publishing activities started again. In 1815, Morrison set up the East India Company's Press at Macau. In 1826, Morrison brought a lithograph press to Macao, which was introduced to China for the first time. The western missionaries' publishing activities in Guangzhou and Macau make great contributions to the history of China's ancient printing and Sino-Western Cultural Exchange.