The University Museum and Art Gallery
University of Hong Kong
Ends Nov 9
For centuries China was a continuous source of inspiration for European explorers and navigators. Famous for its fine porcelain, silk, spices and jade, 'Cathay' was a faraway and mysterious country many in the west had only read about. But as the desire to trade with China increased, so did curiosity about how it could be reached.
This fascinating exhibition throws light on how the Europeans used to perceive China geographically; how perceptions changed and how their search for answers about the east led to many navigational inventions.
Visions of the Celestial Empire: China's Image in Western Cartography showcases prints of ancient atlases from Italy as well as treasures from Paul Kan's rare and valuable map collection. According to curator Aldo Caterino the exhibition's cartography is like 'unearthed ceramics or artefacts that help date an excavation site - it can tell us how Europeans thought about China through the ages'.