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THE LAST ENVOY OF MING CHINA

Historical - Development 2026

Perseverance and self-sacrifice in the pursuit of truth.
A seventeen-century Jesuit strives to change the course of world history out of love for God and the Chinese Empress.

- Year of production
- 2026
- Genres
- Historical, Drama, TV Series
- Countries
- POLAND
- Languages
- ENGLISH, CHINESE
- Synopsis
- In the fall of 1649, Father Michael Boym, a Polish Jesuit missionary in China, arrives at the court of the embattled Yongli Emperor, the last ruler of the Ming dynasty. He is to assist another Jesuit in leading this only Catholic imperial court in Chinese history on the path of Jesus Christ.
  Boym's missionary zeal doesn't come cost-free. He has to abandon his wealthy Polish family and break a promise to his brother. The choice between keeping promises to loved ones and heeding the Lord's call will haunt the Pole till the end.
  At the court, he meets the love of his life, Helena, Empress Dowager of Ming China. Older than him, she is a beautiful, brilliant, and powerful woman and, like him, devoutly religious. He also assists in the baptism of the heir to the throne. This event represents the crowning moment of Jesuit missionary efforts in Asia. It opens an unparalleled opportunity for the Vatican and Catholic European powers to gain the upper hand in the fierce competition against the British and Dutch interests. The prospect of great Catholic China, his faith, and not less, his strong albeit platonic feelings toward the Empress soon propel him to embark on a dangerous mission.
  In the face of incessant attacks from the Manchu Qing dynasty controlling the northern half of China, the two Jesuits convince the Emperor to send Boym to Europe to procure support for the Ming. From now, his destiny will be inextricably linked to his legation.
  Apart from the official letters, he carries the fruit of his study of Chinese culture - the first European atlas of China.
  From the beginning, his mission falls prey to great European politics and the economic rivalry between the major players in this epoch of the Habsburg decline and the rise of Louis XIV's France and their respective game of influence over the Vatican. On the other hand, the Portuguese in Macau increasingly find themselves forced to choose between the warring dynasties. The same dilemma splits the Jesuit Mission into the pro-Qing and pro-Ming factions. This political division in the secular and religious spheres of the Portuguese Estado works against Boym's mission.
  And so, at the very same time Boym heads to Europe, another Jesuit sets out to the Vatican on behalf of the "northern" Jesuits. He is to convince the Vatican and European courts that the Ming cause is irreparably lost. The sole power in China to count on is the Manchu Qing Emperor. Father Martini, too, carries with him his most valuable opus - the atlas of China.
  And thus, a race begins between them, which will define the future of the Chinese Empire and the Catholic religion in the Far East.