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May 2022

Globe showing North America

Chinese in Pre-Columbian Canada?

Most people would assume Matteo Ricci’s 1602 world map ‒ Kunyu Wanguo Quantu《坤舆万国全图》 is strictly of European origin and from European knowledge. However, by comparing four other European maps (four maps are: 1) the 1562 Map of America by Diego Guttierez; 2) the 1569 World Map by Gerardus Mercator; 3) the 1570 World Map by Abraham Ortelius; and 4) the 1594 World Map by Petrus Plancius) of the same era, Dr Wang makes the startling argument that Kunyu Wanguo Quantu is of Chinese origin. The implications of this are profound as this implies the Chinese were in the Americas in the Pre-Columbian era.