Athanasius Kircher based this text on European explorers' descriptions and drawings of Asian countries. The intended purpose was to display the origins of Asian customs and offer strategies for missionaries.
x Athanasii Kircheri e Soc. Jesu China monumentis: qvà sacris quà profanis, nec non variis naturæ & artis spectaculis, aliarumque rerum memorabilium argumentis illustrata, auspiciis Leopoldi Primi roman. imper ..