This chapter traces the Jesuit effort in China at the beginning of the 17th century. Led by Father Matteo Ricci, this first encounter between China and the Christian world initially yielded positive results. Not only did the Jesuit fathers discover the “secret of effective state system” in China, but also did they establish a fresh approach toward cross-cultural interaction, known as “accommodationist” approach. Such enormous cultural effort was however undermined by internecine struggles within the Catholic Church; the genuine cultural dialogue was brutally broken off by the so-called “Chinese Rites Controversy,” which completely destroyed the “accommodationist” approach. This painful legacy is still with us today.