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Home / People / Hu Ruowang

Historical person

Hu Ruowang

active 1722–1726

Hu Ruowang (also known as John Hu) was a humble Chinese Catholic whose 1722 journey to France with the Jesuit Jean-François Foucquet famously turned into a tragic cultural misunderstanding. Foucquet abandoned him in Paris, leading to Hu's arrest and confinement in the Charenton lunatic asylum due to a breakdown in communication over mental health and behavior.

Their dramatic cross-cultural encounter was later brought to light in the acclaimed historical book The Question of Hu by Jonathan D. Spence.

Non Fiction

Non Fiction featuring Hu Ruowang (1 book)

Biographies, histories and other non-fiction are listed separately from the historical novels above.