The Polish Ambassador of the Chinese Emperor

In this study the Author deals with the earliest chapter of diplomatic relations of Europe with the Middle Kingdom. He concentrates on life, work and mission of Michał Boym (Bu Mige, 1612? – 1659), a clergymen, Jesuit priest, a Polish citizen educated partly in Poland, a powerful country at that time, and partly in Italy, who was also a person who happened to be the first – and real - Polish sinologist of international renown. Boym's important sinological achievements are presented. In linguistics, he prepared one of the first Latin – Chinese dictionary, published in 1667, while three years later his French – Chinese dictionary was also issued. He had also tremendous achievement in presentation of Chinese geography (a detailed map of Chinese coast), botany (famous “Flora Sinensis”) or medicine (a first of this kind study on “Chinese medical plants”). Boym was also chosen as special envoy of the last Ming emperor Yong Li to the Pope in Rome. The details of this diplomatic mission are also presented in detail.