(荷使初訪中國記)An embassy from the East-India Company.

Chinese priests or monks, engraving from An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, emperor of China, by Jan Nieuhoff (1618-1672), Leiden,1665.                                     

The book was first published in Dutch in 1665 by Johans brother Hendrik and the Amsterdam-based publisher and printer Jacob van Meurs. Its original title was Het Gezandtschap der Neêrlandtsche Oost-Indische Compagnie, aan den grooten Tartarischen Cham, den tegenwoordigen Keizer van China: Waarin de gedenkwaerdigste Geschiedenissen, die onder het reizen door de Sineesche landtschappen, Quantung, Kiangsi, Nanking, Xantung en Peking, en aan het Keizerlijke Hof te Peking, sedert den jaren 1655 tot 1657 zijn voorgevallen, op het bondigste verhandelt worden. Beneffens een Naukeurige Beschrijvinge der Sineesche Steden, Dorpen, Regeering, Weetenschappen, Hantwerken, Zeden, Godsdiensten, Gebouwen, Drachten, Schepen, Bergen, Gewassen, Dieren, et cetera en oorlogen tegen de Tartar : verçiert men over de 150 afbeeltsels, nat leven in Sina getekent.^[

Because of the immense success it enjoyed, several other editions, albeit heavily edited and geared towards commercial interests, soon appeared. It was also translated into French, German, Latin and eventually into English in respectively, 1665, 1666, 1168 and 1669^] The English version was not published by Van Meurs, but by John Ogilby instead.

東印度公司的使館是荷蘭作家兼探險家約翰·紐霍夫（Johan Nieuhof）所寫的書。英文版的書的全稱是聯合省的東印度公司的大使館，到大韃靼湛，中國的皇帝：她們在總督彼得·德高耶和雅各布·德Keyzer，在他的皇城交付北京的城市，城鎮，村莊，港口，河流等記載.筆者有幸在朋友家中閱讀到1969.年英語版.

如今中國強勢崛起,大肆拓展一帶一路基礎投資建設開發計劃,荷蘭自中古世紀以後,就極力的拓展海外貿易與殖民地的爭奪戰,其中他們佔據中國台灣省多年,雖然由鄭成功打敗驅逐,留下來在台灣省台南的安平古堡等遺跡等等,可見國際貿易的重要性,

An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces is a book written by Dutch author and explorer Johan Nieuhof. The full title of the English version of the book is An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, emperor of China: delivered by their excellencies Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keyzer, at his imperial city of Peking wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c. in their passages from Canton to Peking are ingeniously described by John Nieuhoff; Englished and set forth with their several sculptures by John Ogilby.^1] The book served as a major influence in the rise of chinoiserie in the early eighteenth century.

這本重要的著作標誌著自明朝滅亡後逐步開放對外貿易之後，首次向西方聽眾準確描述中國的重大嘗試。這本書包含荷蘭東印度公司駐順治皇帝（1638-1661）的使館帳目，以及中國一般習俗和職業的帳目。它以對茶的描述而著名，並激發了數百年來對中國藝術和文化的興趣。  

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大清王朝順治大皇帝以手伏案,荷蘭貿易團晉獻的地球儀,讓順治皇帝知道天下,除了中國之外,尚有其他諸多國家,自古以來中國歷代歷朝,皆以中國為世界中心,取名"中國",是其來有自的原由,

從JN.的記載與插畫中得知,順治大皇帝,一幅君臨天下的氣勢,因為天下只有中國最偉大.

Johan Nieuhof詳細記載他,跟隨貿易訪問團,晉見大清王朝順治大皇帝的事件,以及他在中國各地考察旅遊,貿易的寫實記錄,JN擅長描繪當時所見所聞,當地老百姓的生活點滴與風景等等,相當於現代的新聞媒體工作者的實地採訪報導,本書真本藏於荷蘭皇家博物館.,市面出售的版本是得到專門特許翻印製作.

The book consists of the notes and illustrations that Nieuhof made in his position as a steward on Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keizers embassy to the emperor of China. These notes and illustrations were left in the care of his brother Hendrik, "so as they not fall prey to rugged seas and hollow waves". This manuscript was eventually bundled and published to form this book, containing a written account of the embassy as well as 149 illustrations.

The work itself is split into two parts. The first part contains the written account of the embassy led by Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keizer to the emperor of China. It details the entire journey from Canton to Peking and back again. This part also contains descriptions and depictions of all that the embassy came to pass on its trip. The second part consists of a general overview of China, wherein a variety of subjects comes to pass, containing descriptions and images of bridges, mountains, temples, customs, et cetera.^[4] The work provides a total of 149 pictures, an unusual high number.

 Within the new stream of information about China that began in the late seventeenth century, with reports of travel trade missions, An Embassy was a unique source. Especially the pictures marked a milestone in the history of the genre, because they were more realistic than before, providing both the real appearance of the Chinese people and their costumes. Prior to this period, the image of the Chinese in Europe was dominated by fantasy illustrations, already circulating for a number of centuries. Thus, this was the first work in a series of sources based not on fantasies, but on a direct representation of the Chinese life. Johan Nieuhof and his successors not only enhanced European knowledge about China, the pictures also gave an impetus to the growth of Chinoiserie in the arts. Many subsequent artists and architects based their work on Nieuhofs pictures.

Johan Nieuhof.Johan Nieuhof (22 July 1618 in Uelsen – 8 October 1672 in Madagascar) was a Dutch traveler who wrote about his journeys to Brazil, China and India. The most famous of these was a trip of 2,400 km from Canton to Peking in 1655-1657, which enabled him to become an authoritative Western writer on China. He wrote An embassy from the East-India Company containing the written account of this journey.

JN.在本書中提起荷蘭東印度公司貿易團隊,曾經由湯若望（：Johann Adam Schall von Bell)陪同晉見大清王朝順治大皇帝至今中外學者持懷疑態度,因為無法找到有利的官方文件記載.

1969.英語版An embassy from the East-India Company.

  Peking Imperial Palace Nthe Inner Court Of The Imperial Palace In Peking China Engraving Published In An Embassy From The East-India Company Of The United Provinces To The Grand Tartar Cham Emperor Of                                                                                                                        

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 Wall Decor Prints: Peking Imperial Palace Nthe Inner Court Of The Imperial Palace In Peking China Engraving Published In An Embassy From The East-India Company Of The United Provinces To The Grand Tartar Cham Emperor Of China By Johan Nieuhof 1669