The Contribution of Shenbao 申報 to the Perception of Italian Cultural Traditions in late Qing China (1872–1911): A Preliminary Survey

Abstract

The interaction between China and Europe during the late Qing period was ac- companied by a prosperous cross-cultural exchange. One of the most outstanding results of such contact was the formation of a modern Chinese press from the combination of Western journalism and Chinese gazettes. The Shenbao was one of the most representative newspapers of this cultural phenomenon. For nearly forty years of the Imperial period, Italy appeared in over two thousand articles, with a significant selection focused on Italian cultural production and historic tradition. This article aims to propose a multifaceted portrait of Italian cultural heritage of- fered to Chinese readership by the Shenbao. Topics of interest were art and archae- ology, literature, language and teaching system. The article illustrates the dynamics that contributed to the construction of a collective imaginary of Italian culture and the phenomena that influenced and transformed the vision of Italy’s culture during different moments of the Sino-Italian relations.