Athanasii Kircheri e Soc. Jesu China monumentis, qua sacris quà profanis, nec non variis naturae & artis spectaculis, aliarumque rerum memorabilium argumentis illustrata

"China Illustrata (Latin for "China Illustrated") is a book published in 1667 by the Jesuit Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680). Principally drawn from accounts of the Jesuit China Mission, it compiles 17th-century European knowledge on the Ming-era Chinese Empire and its neighboring countries. ... The book is divided into six sections: Part One explains the meaning and significance of the eighth-century Sino-Syrian monument (42 pages); Part Two tells about various journeys undertaken in China, including the Journey of Marco Polo (78 pages); Part Three claims parallels between Western, Indian, Chinese and Japanese Idolatry (38 pages;) Part Four gives descriptions and illustrations of the flora and fauna in China (44 pages); Part Five talks about the architecture and mechanical arts of the Chinese (11 pages); Part Six is concerned with the Chinese language and its relationship with the Hieroglyphic characters (12 pages)." -- Wikipedia