Xu Guangqi

In this Chinese name, the family name is Xú (徐).
Servant of God
Xu Guangqi
徐光啓
Portrait of Xu Guangqi
Vice Minister of Rites
In office
1629–1630
Preceded byMa Zhiqi
Succeeded byLi Sunchen
Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Library
In office
1632–1633
Senior Grand SecretaryZhou Tingru
Wen Tiren
Personal details
BornApril 24, 1562
Shanghai County, Songjiang, South Zhili, Ming Empire[1]
DiedNovember 8, 1633(1633-11-08) (aged 71)[2]
Beijing, Shuntian, North Zhili, Ming Empire
Resting placeGuangqi Park, Xujiahui, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
NationalityChinese
SpouseWu[3]
RelationsCandida Xu (granddaughter)[4]

(Xu Zhun)[4]

(Xu Maheux)[4]
ChildrenXu Ji (徐驥)
Parent(s)Xu Sicheng (徐思誠), father
EducationJinshi Degree (1604)[5]
Occupationscholar-official (Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary), agronomist, astronomer, mathematician, writer
Known forThree Pillars of Chinese Catholicism
Chinese translation of Euclid's Elements
Chongzhen calendar
Complete Treatise on Agriculture
Baptismal namePaul Xu
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese徐光啓
Simplified Chinese徐光启
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXú Guāngqǐ
Wade–GilesHsü2 Kuang1-ch‘i3
IPA[ɕy̌ kwáŋtɕʰì]
Courtesy name
Chinese子先
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZǐxiān
Wade–GilesTzu3-hsien1
Second alternative Chinese name
Chinese玄扈
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXuánhù
Wade–GilesHsüan-hu
Third alternative Chinese name
Chinese文定
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWéndìng
Wade–GilesWên2-ting4
Fourth alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese保祿
Simplified Chinese保禄
Literal meaningPaulus
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinBǎolù
Wade–GilesPao3-lu4
Servant of God

Xu Guangqi
Xu Guangqi with Matteo Ricci (left)
From Athanasius Kircher's China Illustrata, 1667
BornApril 24, 1562
Shanghai, China
DiedNovember 8, 1633
Beijing, China

Xu Guangqi or Hsü Kuang-ch'i (April 24, 1562 – November 8, 1633), also known by his baptismal name Paul or Paul Siu, was a Chinese agronomist, astronomer, mathematician, politician, and writer during the Ming dynasty.[6] Xu was appointed by the Chinese Emperor in 1629 to be the leader of the Shixian calendar reform, which he embarked on with the assistance of Jesuits.[7] Xu was a colleague and collaborator of the Italian Jesuits Matteo Ricci and Sabatino de Ursis and assisted their translation of several classic Western texts into Chinese, including part of Euclid's Elements. He was also the author of the Nong Zheng Quan Shu, a treatise on agriculture.

He is one of the "Three Pillars of Chinese Catholicism". The Roman Catholic Church considers him a Servant of God,[8] one of the stages towards formal sainthood.[9] On April 15, 2011, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi announced the start of a beatification process for Xu Guangqi,[10] which has stalled.[11]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference dude was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Dudink (2001), p. 409.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference duude was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Brockey (2008), p. 140.
  5. ^ Brockey (2008), p. 59.
  6. ^ Hummel, Arthur W. Sr., ed. (1943). "Hsü Kuang-ch'i" . Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period. United States Government Printing Office.
  7. ^ Stone (2007).
  8. ^ Roman Catholic Diocese of Shanghai: 徐光启列品案筹备进程
  9. ^ "In a first, Shanghai-born Ming Dynasty bureaucrat and scientist Xu Guangqi to be beatified". Shanghaiist. May 5, 2018.
  10. ^ "Church to beatify early China convert in Shanghai". UCA News. 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  11. ^ "The 29th International Conference of the US-China Catholic Association August 2-4, 2024 DePaul University — Lincoln Park Campus Chicago, IL". USCCA. Retrieved August 10, 2024.