@article{Terol Rojo_2019, title={The First Contact between the West and China: Sinology´s Origin}, volume={7}, url={https://revpubli.unileon.es/index.php/sinologia/article/view/5732}, DOI={10.18002/sin.v7i2.5732}, abstractNote={In this study the first contact between Western and Asia culture, specifically with China, is reviewed. It begins with a reference to the Roman Empire mentioning the most relevant reference works for a more in-depth study. Next, it focuses on the diaspora of Nestorian Christianity towards the East and specifically its location in Chinese territory, considering also the main reference works and following a historical and lineal story.<br />Then, the trips of Benjamín de Tudela, although<br />they did not go beyond Mesopotamia and the<br />Persian Gulf, served to verify the existence of<br />Jewish communities in the Far East. In that frame<br />of reference, the context of the Silk Road would<br />explain its dedication on the one hand and, on<br />the other, it delimits them curiously outside the<br />Chinese territory, delving into the hermetism of<br />the Asian country. In the Middle Ages and the<br />European Renaissance, and anticipating the trips<br />of Spaniards and Portuguese, the figure of Marco<br />Polo is undoubtedly the most outstanding in the<br />task of spreading the knowledge about China in<br />the West. And in that sense also Ibn Battuta, then,<br />is relevant. Finally, and from the stories written<br />by these three travelers, multiple expeditions to<br />Mongolia and China are evinced. A selection of<br />these concludes the present work.}, number={2}, journal={Sinología hispánica. China Studies Review}, author={Terol Rojo, Gabriel}, year={2019}, month={Jan.}, pages={89–114} }