Michel Benoist

Michel Benoist
Born(1715-10-08)8 October 1715
Dijon, France
Died23 October 1774(1774-10-23) (aged 59)
Beijing, China
OccupationScientist

Michel Benoist (Chinese: 蔣友仁; pinyin: Jiǎng Yǒurén, 8 October 1715 in Dijon, France – 23 October 1774 in Beijing, China) was a Jesuit scientist who served for thirty years in the court of the Qianlong Emperor (1735 - 1796) during the Qing dynasty, known for his architectural and landscape designs of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanming Yuan). Along with Giuseppe Castiglione, Benoist served as one of two Jesuit advisors to the Qianlong Emperor, and transformed parts of the Old Summer Palace into what historian Mark Elliott calls an "imitation of Versailles or Fontainebleau."[1]

  1. ^ Elliott, Mark (2009). Emperor Qianlong: Son of Heaven, Man of the World. New York: Pearson Longman. p. 131.