Preliminary study of the work of Xu Guangqi in the technical knowledge in 17th century: from the perspective of drawing and representation

Xu Guangqi ( 徐光启，1561-1633) was one of the earliest Chinese Christian in Shanghai, China. As a colleague and collaborator of Matteo Ricci and other Italian Jesuit Sabatino de Urisis, Xu translated and wrote several texts in astronomy, mathametics and mechanics, such like the famous Euclid's Elements（几何原本）in 1607 and "Taixi Shuifa" (泰西水法,On western hydraulic) in 1612. These works made Xu become the most important pioneer in introducing western science and technology in China in 17th Century. Another significant work of Xu was the 60 volumes long "Nongzheng quanshu" (农政全书，Whole book on agricultural activities), which was published in 1639 and was considered an outstanding agricultural treatise that followed in the tradition of those such as Wang Zhen (王祯）（wrote the Wang Zhen Nong shu of 1313). The Taixi Shuifa was also edited as the Volume 19-20 in the Nongzheng quanshu. The Nongzheng quanshu contained 733 illustrations, most of which in the volumes of water conservancy and agricultural tools can be traced to the illustrations in Wangzheng Nongshu. In the Volumes of Taixi shuifa, the illustrations presented the western style of engineering drawing which was different from Chinese style. In this article, in order to investigate the role played by Xu Guangqi in the development of European scientific and technical knowldge in China, the Taixi shuifa( On western hydraulic) and Nongzheng quanshu are examined and compared with the earlier European and Chinese texts of similar content, especially in the perspective of drawings of machines and mechanics. Through the comparative study of the drawings in Xu's texts and the earlier western and Chinese texts, the sources used by Xu Guangqi and to what extent he used them in his two books will be discussed, based on which a further research of Xu Guangqi's works in scientific and technical knowledge can be given in an new point of view which is different from the previous studies.