Schall von Bell, Jean Adam (Tang Ruowang)

Schall von Bell, Jean Adam (1591-1660), a German, became a member of the Society of Jesus in 1611 and arrived in Macao in 1618.

Four years later, he was allowed to enter Beijing, and brought with him many books on astronomy and mathematics as well as some astronomy equipment.

In 1623, he made an exact prediction of solar eclipse and became famous. In 1627, he went to Xi'an to missionize, and established a church. In 1630, he was invited to Beijing by the Ming Dynasty government (1368-1644) to revise the calendar and thus gained the right to enter the imperial palace, fostering some believers in the palace.

In the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) which replaced the Ming Dynasty, he could still get the trust from the emperor. And he persuaded more Chinese to believe in Catholicism and built more churches.