Speaking of the spread of Christianity in the Hakka region (southeast of China), it may have begun during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). At that time, the Southern Song Dynasty's overseas trade enabled the growth of prosperity along the Maritime Silk Route. The international Port of Citong (Quanzhou) was the largest in the then China. It is very likely that Christianity entered China during this period.
In early 1994, a tombstone carved with a cross on it was unearthed in Quanzhou. Its owners were two Chinese women. Both were proved to be Nestorians. According to scholars, the tomb was built in 1277, which was one or two years before the Mongolian army entered Quanzhou. This supports the belief that there had been gospel ministries already in the Southern Song Dynasty. Before that, the Khwarazams who came with the Mongolians were believed to be the earliest preachers to the Hakka region.
During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 during the Mongolian reign), the Nestorians and Catholic Franciscans sent missionaries to the then prosperous Port of Citong to preach the gospel. In a letter to his friends, the Quanzhou Bishop Andre wrote, "a large number of infidels were baptized," reflecting the fact that many were converted to Christianity in the years when Xiamen's administrative areas belonged to the Quanzhou Parish. There may also have been converts in Xiamen, but there is no historical evidence or archaeological excavation to support this view so far.
The recorded activities of Western missionaries in Xiamen can be traced to as early as the end of the Ming Dynasty (around 1644). According to Mendoza's The History of the Great and Mighty Kingdom of China and the Situation Thereof, the Catholic Augustinian Bishop of Oskar Malacca, Martin de Rada, and the monk Garoth Martin traveled from Xiamen to Fuzhou between June and August 1575. In the same year, they returned to Manila from Xiamen, becoming the first preachers to set foot in Xiamen.
In 1631, 11 Dominican missionaries came to Xiamen to found a Dominican Parish. In 1654, the Italian Dominican priest Victoria Rici, who was located in Manila, went to Xiamen to preach. At that time Xiamen had become General Zheng Chenggong's (a late Ming general) anti-Qing base. Zheng Chenggong treated Rici well because of the Catholic background of Zheng's family. Rici was hired as a consultant by Zheng and allowed to preach freely in Zheng's regions.
Because there were no churches in Xiamen, Rici rented a house close to Zheng's Hall at the Xiamen Port. The house was used for Mass and many were led to the Lord. As the Gospel rapidly became better known, the number of believers increased. The original site could not accommodate the congregation. So Rici bought land in a place called Tsan-tshu-uann to build a church chapel and a living area.
After General Zheng re-occupied Taiwan, Rici was appointed by Zheng as a special envoy to carry Zheng's letter to the Governor-General of the Philippines to offer amnesty and to enlist rebels in the Luzon Islands. He arrived in Manila in May. In July, Rici returned to Taiwan to teach and baptize local believers. Then he went back to Xiamen. When the Qing-Dutch allies captured Xiamen in 1664, Rici was sent by the Dutch army to Hencoop to preach to the soldiers and natives there.
Since 1661, Manila Dominions had sent Spaniards to Xiamen to preach. In 1683, the Qing government opened the blockade of Xiamen. Most of the missionaries travelled through Xiamen to various parts of Fujian to preach. In 1716, the missionary Jean Laureati from the Society of Jesus was in charge of Fujian's parish. He lived and preached there. In 1704, Pope Clement XI issued a ban on ancestral worship among Chinese Christians. The Qing government responded by issuing a ban prohibiting foreign missionaries from preaching in China in 1720. Four successive rulers, Emperor Yong Zheng, Emperor Qianlong, Emperor Jiaqing and Emperor DaoGuang also prohibited foreign missionaries from entering China to preach. Despite this, the Catholic Church did not disappear in Xiamen and many Dominicans risked their lives to secretly sneak into Xiamen to preach. In 1733, Matteo ?? came to Xiamen to develop believer base.
In addition, according to some historical records, the Prussian missionary Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff came to Xiamen in the 1830s to distribute gospel pamphlets. However, there is no record on the outcome of his hand-outs, and Gützlaff's recounts often appear to be exaggerated. Therefore, his coming to Xiamen needs to be further supported by evidence.
- Translated by Charlie Li
近代以前厦门基督宗教发展简述
说起基督宗教在闽南地区的传播，可能在南宋时期已开始。那时宋代开展海外贸易，促进了海上丝绸之路的繁荣，刺桐港是当时首屈一指的国际大港口，因此基督宗教很有可能在此期间进入。
而在1994年初，泉州出土了一块刻有十字架的墓碑，根据学者考证，墓主人是两位汉族妇女，皆为景教徒，立于1277年，即元军入泉州前一个月。由此认定南宋闽南地区已有福音的传播，而非元代色目人传入。
元代时，景教、天主教圣方济会派遣宣教士到当时繁荣的刺桐港（泉州）传播福音。泉州主教安德烈在给朋友的信中写到“大量的异教徒受洗”，反映当年入教者甚多的景况。当时厦门地界属泉州教区，可能也有人信主，但无史料和考古挖掘证明。
目前可考的西方传教士在厦门的活动最早可追溯到明末。据门多萨所著《中华大帝国史》记载，1575年6-8月间，天主教奥斯定会马六甲主教马丁•德•拉达和修士加罗氏•马丁由厦门到福州。同年又取道厦门返回马尼拉，成为最早踏上厦门的宣教士。
1631年，多明我会的宣教士等11人来到厦门，开创多明我会教区。公元1654年，马尼拉多明我会传宣教士意大利人利畸（李科罗）到厦门宣教。此时，厦门已成为郑成功的抗清基地。郑成功因其家族有天主教信仰背景，因而礼遇利畸，他被郑成功聘为顾问，并准许他在其辖区内自由宣教。
由于当时厦门没有教堂，就租用厦门港郑氏祠堂附近的房子作为弥撒场所，带领不少人信主。因福音发展很快，信徒增加，旧教堂容纳不下，又择地在曾厝垵建教堂和住房。郑成功收复台湾后，利畸被郑成功任命为特使，携带郑成功致菲律宾总督信件赴吕宋招谕，5月抵马尼拉。7月利畸回到台湾，为当地土人付洗讲道，后又回到厦门。1664年清荷联军攻下厦门时，利畸被荷军送往鸡笼，为城中士兵和土人宣教。
公元1661年以后，马尼拉多明我会相继派西班牙人到厦门传教。1683年，清政府开放厦门海禁，宣教士大部分经厦门转往福建各地传教。1716年，耶稣会士利国安管理福建教务，他住在厦门，向当地居民宣教。1704年，教宗格来孟十一世发表禁止中国教徒祭祖祀孔的禁约。1720年，清朝廷针锋相对地发布禁教令，严禁外国宣教士到中国传教。雍正、乾隆、嘉庆、道光四朝也严禁外国宣教士进入中国传教。尽管如此，天主教并未在厦门绝迹，不少多明我会士冒着生命危险秘密潜入厦门宣教。1733年，胡玛窦来到厦门发展信徒。
一些史料指出，普鲁士传教士郭实腊回忆，他在十九世纪三十年代，曾经来到厦门分发福音小册子。但具体效果如何，并未有记载。而且郭实腊的口述常有夸大之处，因此关于他来厦门之事，还需有其他史料支持。
https://www.gospeltimes.cn/portal/article/index/id/51576
Speaking of the spread of Christianity in the Hakka region (southeast of China), it may have begun during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). At that time, the Southern Song Dynasty's overseas trade enabled the growth of prosperity along the Maritime Silk Route. The international Port of Citong (Quanzhou) was the largest in the then China. It is very likely that Christianity entered China during this period.
In early 1994, a tombstone carved with a cross on it was unearthed in Quanzhou. Its owners were two Chinese women. Both were proved to be Nestorians. According to scholars, the tomb was built in 1277, which was one or two years before the Mongolian army entered Quanzhou. This supports the belief that there had been gospel ministries already in the Southern Song Dynasty. Before that, the Khwarazams who came with the Mongolians were believed to be the earliest preachers to the Hakka region.
During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 during the Mongolian reign), the Nestorians and Catholic Franciscans sent missionaries to the then prosperous Port of Citong to preach the gospel. In a letter to his friends, the Quanzhou Bishop Andre wrote, "a large number of infidels were baptized," reflecting the fact that many were converted to Christianity in the years when Xiamen's administrative areas belonged to the Quanzhou Parish. There may also have been converts in Xiamen, but there is no historical evidence or archaeological excavation to support this view so far.
The recorded activities of Western missionaries in Xiamen can be traced to as early as the end of the Ming Dynasty (around 1644). According to Mendoza's The History of the Great and Mighty Kingdom of China and the Situation Thereof, the Catholic Augustinian Bishop of Oskar Malacca, Martin de Rada, and the monk Garoth Martin traveled from Xiamen to Fuzhou between June and August 1575. In the same year, they returned to Manila from Xiamen, becoming the first preachers to set foot in Xiamen.
In 1631, 11 Dominican missionaries came to Xiamen to found a Dominican Parish. In 1654, the Italian Dominican priest Victoria Rici, who was located in Manila, went to Xiamen to preach. At that time Xiamen had become General Zheng Chenggong's (a late Ming general) anti-Qing base. Zheng Chenggong treated Rici well because of the Catholic background of Zheng's family. Rici was hired as a consultant by Zheng and allowed to preach freely in Zheng's regions.
Because there were no churches in Xiamen, Rici rented a house close to Zheng's Hall at the Xiamen Port. The house was used for Mass and many were led to the Lord. As the Gospel rapidly became better known, the number of believers increased. The original site could not accommodate the congregation. So Rici bought land in a place called Tsan-tshu-uann to build a church chapel and a living area.
After General Zheng re-occupied Taiwan, Rici was appointed by Zheng as a special envoy to carry Zheng's letter to the Governor-General of the Philippines to offer amnesty and to enlist rebels in the Luzon Islands. He arrived in Manila in May. In July, Rici returned to Taiwan to teach and baptize local believers. Then he went back to Xiamen. When the Qing-Dutch allies captured Xiamen in 1664, Rici was sent by the Dutch army to Hencoop to preach to the soldiers and natives there.
Since 1661, Manila Dominions had sent Spaniards to Xiamen to preach. In 1683, the Qing government opened the blockade of Xiamen. Most of the missionaries travelled through Xiamen to various parts of Fujian to preach. In 1716, the missionary Jean Laureati from the Society of Jesus was in charge of Fujian's parish. He lived and preached there. In 1704, Pope Clement XI issued a ban on ancestral worship among Chinese Christians. The Qing government responded by issuing a ban prohibiting foreign missionaries from preaching in China in 1720. Four successive rulers, Emperor Yong Zheng, Emperor Qianlong, Emperor Jiaqing and Emperor DaoGuang also prohibited foreign missionaries from entering China to preach. Despite this, the Catholic Church did not disappear in Xiamen and many Dominicans risked their lives to secretly sneak into Xiamen to preach. In 1733, Matteo ?? came to Xiamen to develop believer base.
In addition, according to some historical records, the Prussian missionary Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff came to Xiamen in the 1830s to distribute gospel pamphlets. However, there is no record on the outcome of his hand-outs, and Gützlaff's recounts often appear to be exaggerated. Therefore, his coming to Xiamen needs to be further supported by evidence.
- Translated by Charlie Li
A Brief History Account of Christianity in Xiamen before Modern Times
