Yuanjing shuo: first Chinese treatise on the telescope
Yuanjing shuo: primer tratado chino del telescopio
- Date
- 1626 · confidence high
- Place
- Beijing, China
- Credited to
- Johann Adam Schall von Bell and Li Zubo
- Field
- Communication
What it is
A Chinese-language treatise that explains the optical theory of lenses, the construction of the telescope and its use, with illustrations. It introduced European lens optics to China a few years after the first telescopes arrived.
A Jesuit work with Chinese collaboration; the main authorship is usually given to Schall, although the text is also linked to Johann Schreck (Terrentius).
What it led to
- local telescope making in China
- use of the telescope in the imperial calendar reformed by the Jesuits
- later Chinese optics tradition (Sun Yunqiu)
Built on
Made possible
- Sun Yunqiu's optics and lens-making