Chinese author and scholar Dr Chen Xinyu visited The Beijing Center recently to share her work on tombstones of foreign missionaries that are helping to uncover the history of the Jesuits in China.
Dr Chen has authored more than 30 papers and accumulated a wealth of knowledge on the history and inscriptions on the tombstones in Zhalan Cemetery, where Matteo Ricci is buried.
Decades before 1954, Catholics had land ownership of Zhalan Cemetery. However, at the time of Ricci’s death in 1610, the land was owned by the emperor. In recognition of Ricci’s contributions to China, a request was made and approved for his burial in Zhalan Cemetery, on the grounds of what is still the Communist Party School, now known as the Beijing Administrative College.
This makes Matteo Ricci the first foreign missionary to be buried in China. Previously, all foreign missionaries who died in China could only be buried in Macao. Ricci’s initial burial location is likewise indicative of the historical and cultural progression taking place in China.
Dr Chen’s discovery and analysis of Jesuit tombstones also reveal a restrictive nature of imperial rule during the Chinese dynasties. During the Qing dynasty, many Jesuits were high ranking officials in the service of the emperor, so upon their passing, their tombstone inscriptions had to be approved by the imperial court. This enforced language control, which prompted layered inscriptions on the tombstones in Latin and Chinese. During those times, few people could understand Latin so language control was limited. For this reason, the inscriptions in Latin dictate a more negative connotation compared to the tailored description offered in Chinese.
She cites as an example the tombstone of Johann Adam Schall von Bell, who along with his Jesuit brothers was accused of high treason. At the time of his death, an initial inscription was made in Latin and Chinese on the “yin” side of his tombstone. Years later, the emperor recovered his tombstone and re-inscribed it on the “yang” side. This reflects the complexity in the inscriptions, which can differ in language and content, depending on the context of history.
Dr Chen, who is currently engaged in the comparison of Chinese and Western philosophy and the archaeological study of Chinese and foreign tombs at the Beijing Administration Institute, has spent the last six years compiling a catalogue of Jesuit tombstones and their interpreted inscriptions for a publication, The History of Tombstones, set to be released in 2023.
She says most of the tombstones in China belong to the Jesuits, but there are other known tombstones of missionaries from other religious orders such as the Congregation of the Mission. She continues to find new tombstones and believes there are many more out there waiting to be discovered and restored. (The Beijing Center)