| Abstract |
After living in Guangzhou for several months between 1569 and 1570, Gaspar de Cruz, a Portuguese Dominican friar, published Tratado das cousas da China (Treatise on things Chinese), which is commonly regarded as one of the earliest detailed European accounts of China. This paper argues that Cruz’s work has not been properly understood, because scholars have thus far failed to look at the work from an ethnographic point of view. In writing his work, Cruz combined his own experience in Guangzhou and prior work from other Portuguese such as Galeote Pereira’s report, lead a coherent narrative of China, and has left us with detailed descriptions of Cantonese life. He has presented us with a comprehensive view of the Cantonese culture at the time, including an account of how the poorest classes of lived. His work also embodies Cruz’s aspirations for an ideal society; it shows his pursuit of harmony, equality, and beauty in human life, as well as his desire to serve as a bridge of communication between eastern and western cultures. While it cannot be denied that his work suffers from many prejudices and misunderstandings, it must nevertheless be acknowledged that Cruz has left us with a vivid account of mid-sixteenth century Guangzhou. By examining his work carefully, we catch a glimpse of how one small portion of East Asia interacted with the rest of the world during the middle of the sixteenth century. |
