This travel narrative and encyclopedia presented the most up-to-date information about China based on Jesuit sources and the knowledge of commercial traders. Its nearly 150 illustrations include double-page plates of Chinese landscapes and harbors, fold-out maps of China and of Beijing, and depictions of Chinese natural history, topography and architecture. Nieuhof was sent to China by the Dutch East India Company. He recounts the journey of Dutch traders from Canton to Beijing and back again in 1656. When they arrived in Beijing, Adam Schall served as their translator. The emperor declined to grant them the trade authority they requested, but gave them permission to return in 8 years.