The University of Macau obtained a rare Portuguese manuscript, along with an embassy report sent by King João V to China in 1725. It will be translated into Chinese to facilitate academic research.
“Our idea is to translate this book into Portuguese and then translate it. At the same time, this book will be available online,” said Rui Martins, vice president of the university yesterday. Said in the public presentation of the manuscript.
According to Portuguese scholars, the official report from the Embassy of John V to the Emperor Yongzheng of China in the 18th century “re-appeared” on the international market about six months ago.
The manuscript was obtained through the University of Macau Development Foundation when Professor Antonio Vasconseros de Sardanya of the Faculty of History of the University of Macau described it as “very exciting”.
There are only two known copies of the report, the other at the Ajuda Library in Lisbon.
This document is derived from the only European embassy received by Yongzheng Emperor, written in European language, and contains the only information collected directly in China about this Chinese emperor’s court. Is important to.
“It’s the same as an astronomer discovering a new planet,” the scholar explained.
“This is probably one of Macau’s oldest surviving manuscripts, showing over 500 years of historical relations between China and Portugal,” Rui Martins emphasized.
The letter from D. Joan V, delivered to Yongzheng Emperor in 1727 by embassy leader Alexandre Metello, is preserved in China’s major historical archives in the capital Beijing.
According to Han Young-hu, the deputy director of the institution, the letter contains gifts sent by the Portuguese king, such as firearms and “red wine.” The Chinese emperor responded by sending valuable items such as ginger, tea and porcelain to Portugal.
According to Han Young-hu, China’s major historical archives have a collection of over 1,000 historical documents on diplomatic relations between Portugal and China.
In a message sent for the publication of the manuscript, officials said they hoped that the reproduction of the document would help “promote research on Sino-Portuguese relations.”
