emperor, who had taken a keen interest in the controversy regarding the ceremonies, replied that they were simply civil usages, having no religious significance whatsoever. The memorial, together with the emperors reply, was published in the Peking Gazette but failed to allay the excitement then raging in Europe over the question. In 1706, Kangxi decided to send Bouvet to the Vatican to settle the Chinese Rites controversy but later changed his mind. From 1708 to 1715, Bouvet and Jean-Baptiste Régis were engaged in a survey of the country and the preparation of maps of its various provinces. As a sinologist, Bouvet focused his research on I Ching. Trying to find a connection between the Chinese classics and the Bible, Bouvet came to the conclusion that the Chinese had known the whole truth of the Christian tradition in ancient times and that this truth could be found in the Chinese classics. Even though he had some of his texts published, none of Bouvet's more extreme Figurist texts was published until the mid-19th century. Bouvet died in Peking on June 28, 1730. His gravestone stele is on display at the Stone Carving Museum of Beijing (at the Five Pagoda Temple) together with the gravestone steles of Father Gerbillon, and Father Regis. Major works Etat présent de la Chine, en figures gravées par P. Giffart sur les dessins apportés au roi par le P. J. Bouvet (Paris, 1697) Portrait historique de l'empereur de la Chine (Paris, 1697) Notes References Li, Shenwen, 2001, Stratégies missionnaires des Jésuites Français en Nouvelle-France et en Chine au XVIIieme siècle, Les Presses de l'Université Laval, L'Harmattan, Entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia Short biography in the Hong Kong Catholic diocesan Archive See also France-China relations Religion in China List of Roman Catholic missionaries in China Jesuit China missions Christianity in China List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics 1656 births 1730 deaths People from Le Mans 17th-century French Jesuits French cartographers Jesuit missionaries in China Roman Catholic missionaries in China French sinologists Catholic clergy scientists 18th-century French Jesuits French Roman Catholic missionaries Jesuit missionaries French expatriates in China Jesuit scientists