(5 Nov 2020) A rare 17th-century French book on Confucius, which was given as a national gift to President Xi Jinping by French President Emmanuel Macron last year, was officially handed over to the National Library of China in Beijing on Wednesday.
Confucius ou la Science des Princes (Confucius, or the Science of the Princes), which was handwritten by the French explorer and physician Francois Bernier in 1688, was the earliest known French-language book introducing the ancient Chinese philosopher and educator Confucius (551-479 BC), according to Rao Quan, director of the library.
It is also the first European manuscript from the Age of Enlightenment to be included in the library’s collection, he said.
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