6th International Symposium Oriental Studies

The 6 th International Symposium on Oriental Ancient Documents Studies 82 Song Gang The Many Faces of Our Lady: Early Chinese Texts and Images of the Virgin Mary The paper explores the emergence and early development of Marian devotions in China from the 7 th c. to the 17 th c. By using a group of key texts and images, it highlights how Catholic missionaries (especially the Jesuits) made unprecedented efforts to promote Mary as an unparalleled model character of all virtues in line with the established Confucian norms, and how Chinese people in their first encounters with this prominent Christian icon developed multilayered understandings and representations. As it turned out, the complex entanglement of religiosity, morality, and ideology underpinned the formation of a composite image of Mary, whose many faces constituted a marginal and yet persistent Marian culture in imperial China. Key words: Imperial China, missionaries, Virgin Mary, image of Mary.