Editing Jean Joseph Marie Amiot (section)

== Arrival at China ==
Amiot requested [[Franz Retz]], the [[Superior General of the Society of Jesus]] at that time, to serve in an overseas mission, and was eventually given a mission to China.{{sfn|Hermans|2019|p=233}} Earlier, in a letter to his brother, he had expressed his desire to serve in a delegation to this particular country.{{sfn|Rochemonteix|1915|p=10}} He left France in 1749, accompanied by Chinese Jesuits Paul Liu and Stanislas Kang,{{sfn|Hermans|2019|p=233}} who had been sent to study in France and were returning to their home country. Kang died at sea, before the party could reach China.{{sfn|Pfister|1932b|p=861}}

They arrived at [[Macau]] on July 27, 1750.{{sfn|Hermans|2019|p=233}} The Jesuits of Beijing announced Amiot's arrival, along with that of the Portuguese Jesuits José d'Espinha and Emmanuel de Mattos,{{sfn|Hermans|2019|p=233}}{{sfn|Rochemonteix|1915|p=38}} to Emperor [[Qianlong]], who ordered that they be taken to the capital.{{sfn|Pfister|1932a|p=838}} On March 28, 1751, they left Macau for [[Guangzhou]] and arrived there five days later.{{sfn|Rochemonteix|1915|p=40}} They left Canton on June 2, and reached Beijing on August 22.{{sfn|Rochemonteix|1915|p=41}}

After his arrival in Beijing, he was put in charge of the children's congregation of the Holy Guardian Angels. Alongside this, he studied the Chinese language.{{sfn|Pfister|1932a|p=838}} He adopted the Chinese name Qian Deming ({{lang|zh|錢德明}}){{sfn|Pfister|1932a|p=837}} and wore [[Chinese clothing]] in order to adapt himself to the [[Chinese culture|culture of China]].{{sfn|Hermans|2019|p=236}} In 1754, Amiot made a young Chinese man by the name of Yang Ya-Ko-Pe his assistant{{sfn|Hermans|2019|p=236}} and instructed him in the European manner. Yang died in 1784, after working with Amiot for over thirty years.{{sfn|Pfister|1932a|p=838}}