Research On Jesuit Augustin Ferdinand Von Hallerstein Of Emperor Qianlong

Liu Song Ling (Augustin Ferdinand von Hallerstein), also known by the name of Qiaonian (August Allerstein), was from Slovene. He was born on27August1703in Ljubljana and Joined the Jesuit in Austria in1721. He became a Jesuit missionary in1727and went to Beijing by the emperor’s invitation in1739, after this, he had been an official of the Astronomy of the Qing Dynasty. He was granted as an assistant imperial astronomer who helped Dai Jinxian’s work in the Department of Court Astronomy in1743. After Dai Jinxian died, Liu Song Ling was nominated as a court astronomer by emperor. He was the eighth foreigner who was the court astronomer in Qianlong period and he had been this position28years till he died in1774. As a court astronomer, Liu Song Ling began to edit the book of ling Tai Yi Xiang Zhi and finished it in1752. This book was named Yi Xiang Kao Cheng by the emperor Qianlong. In the same year, Liu Song Ling participated in the manufacturing of Ji Heng Fu Zhen Yi as a supervisor. And in the continuous years, Liu Song Ling undertook to the research in astronomy and made the models of the earth and other celestial bodies. In1752, Baerzhe, an ambassador of Portugal came to China, Liu Song Ling gave Baerzhe an official welcome and entertained him39days when he stayed in China. During Baerzhe’s visit, Liu Song Ling, as a translator companied him to join all events that arranged by the court. In1749, Liu Song Ling also participated in the drawing the map of Mulan. He appreciated the methods of Chinese population statistics in that time. He introduced the statistics result of Chinese population into Europe in1761, and this was very useful for western scholars. During Liu Song Ling’s appointment, he helped and arranged many Jesuit missionaries in Beijing. He had great contribution to communicate the science and the technologies between China and the Western world. By reasons, the study about Liu Song Ling has been hot issue since1980. In2011, Prof. Han Yongfu published27special subject archives of collections about Liu Song Ling, which originated from the departments of Qing’s ministry, court, military and Imperial Household. These new findings collected in China’s First Historical Archive Library will be significant for the researches of Liu Song Ling and the relationships between China and western world in Qing Dynasty.