Paul Pelliot
Explorer
French orientalist who contributed to the study of Central Asian languages and cultures.
He traveled to Beijing in 1900, just as the boxer rebellion was starting, forcing him to stay and wait it out.
He brought back many ancient texts from Asia, which helped scholars find out more about the lost cultures from where they came.
He grew up in Paris, France.
Matteo Ricci, the Jesuit missionary who visited China, also helped to bridge Eastern and Western cultures.