Matteo Ricci drew at least five world maps during his stay in China, improving from the previous version each time.[Photo/Xinhua]

Wood blocks of a world map drawn by Italian missionary Matteo Ricci more than 400 years ago are on show in northeast China's Liaoning province.

The eight blocks, two meters tall and four meters wide when assembled, will be displayed in Liaoning provincial museum in Shenyang until July 24.

According to Ma Baojie, curator of the museum, the map was made by Matteo Ricci, but the blocks were carved by his friend Li Yingshi.

"Matteo Ricci drew at least five world maps during his stay in China, improving from the previous version each time," Ma said. The one on display, produced in 1603 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was his last and most detailed.

The map belonged to the military command headquarters in Liaoning. In 1621 when the Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), took Liaoning, he seized the map.

"So they added Manchurian names later and colored the mountains," Ma said.

"Before the time of Matteo Ricci, maps drawn in China and the West were not complete," he added. "The spread of Matteo Ricci's map opened a new era of cultural exchanges between China and the West."