西学东渐与北京西洋建筑——以明清笔记中的天主教“四堂”为中心

Eastward Spreading of Western Learning and Western-style Buildings in Peking:Centered with the“Four Catholic Churches”Recorded in Ming-Qing Notebook Literature

北京的天主教“四堂”是明清时期西洋建筑的典型代表,也是西学东渐在北京城传播的风向标。“四堂”的兴废,透露出紫禁城的统治者面对西学时的包容、接受、排斥、抗拒等复杂的心态。“四堂”占据北京城东西南北四个方位,在城市不同的空间与紫禁城发生千丝万缕的联系,体现出西学传播的曲折历程。明清笔记对南堂的著录,因人而异,因时而变,体现了文人士大夫对待西学的复杂心态。“四堂”成为西洋建筑在北京大规模出现的先导,是北京接受西学的重要标志,也展示出北京开放包容的文化精神。

The“four Catholic churches”(四堂)in Peking were the typical representatives of Western-style buildings in the Ming and Qing Danysties,and also the marks of the spreading of Western learning to the East,especially to the city of Peking.The rise and fall of the“four Catholic churches”revealed the complex mentality of tolerance,acceptance,repellence,and resistance held by the rulers dwelling in the Forbidden City when they were confronted with Western learning.The“four Catholic churches”were located in the four positions including the east,west,north and south of the city of Peking.They were intricately connected with the Forbidden City from different urban spaces,representing a tortuous course of eastward spreading of Western learning.The records of the Southern Catholic Church(南堂)in Ming-Qing notebook literature differed from author to author,and varied from time to time,embodying the Confucian literati’s complicated mentality towards Western learning.And the“four Catholic Churches”became the pioneer of the large-scale appearance of Western architectures in Peking,acted as the important landmarks of Peking’s acceptance of Western learning,and exhibited Peking’s cultural spirit of openness and inclusiveness.