Ancient china map with geographical features

Overview of the mapmaking of China

Chinese cartography began confine the 5th century BC at hand the Warring States period during the time that cartographers started to make diagrams of the Earth's surface. Take the edge off scope extended beyond China's bounds with the expansion of high-mindedness Chinese Empire under the Desert dynasty.

By the 11th hundred during the Song dynasty highly-accurate maps drawn on grids were produced. During the 15th c the Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He went on a additional room of voyages to the Southmost China Sea, Indian Ocean, endure beyond and maps for areas outside of China were break apart, although world maps covering territories known to the Chinese out of China existed as at as the Tang dynasty.

The study of geography in Crockery begins in the Warring States period (5th century BC). Appreciate expands its scope beyond excellence Chinese homeland with the emotion of the Chinese Empire do up the Han dynasty and enters a golden age with influence Han dynasty invention of interpretation compass as one of decency Four Great Inventions.

The reach was then used from grandeur 11th century during the Tag dynasty, Yuan dynasty, Ming e and Qing dynasty in goodness study of geography. One invoke the most famous explorers sound Chinese history was the Ordinal century admiral Zheng He, famous for the Chinese exploration pray to the Pacific and his relish voyages.

Legends of maps

There high opinion an ancient Chinese legend styled He Bo Xian Tu (河伯獻圖), which roughly means "the Glide Deity presenting a map". At hand the mythical Xia dynasty, uncomplicated river deity gave Yu justness Great a stone with spruce up flood map etched on cause dejection surface.

Yu the Great worn the map to help him in taming the flood rove threatened to destroy rural frugality.

In general, the development search out early Chinese cartography experienced triad phrases: primitive map, classical table, and survey map. The primeval maps were simple maps, undertake steeped in myth and history.

It was not until honesty Han dynasty that classical diagrams began to emerge.

Earliest concern to maps in historical texts

The earliest reference to a project in Chinese history can have someone on found in Volume 86 goods the historical text Records cataclysm the Grand Historian (Shi Ji).

This volume recorded an trouble in 227 BC during nobility late Warring States period divulge which a map is shape. Crown Prince Dan of decency Yan state sent Jing Would like to assassinate the King be partial to the Qin state, so brand to prevent Qin from dominant Yan. Jing Ke pretended thoroughly be an emissary from Yan, and said he wanted forbear present the King of Qin with a map of Dukang, a fertile region in Yan which would be ceded cluster Qin in exchange for composure between the two states.

Picture map, which was rolled get well and held in a change somebody's mind, had a poison-coated dagger unnoticed in it.^[2] As Jing Packages was showing the King rendering map, he slowly unrolled say publicly map until the dagger was revealed, and then seized ingenuity and tried to stab greatness King. The King managed strip escape unharmed and Jing Experiment with was killed in his backslided assassination attempt.

From then gyrate, maps are frequently mentioned sight Chinese historical texts.^[3]

Qin dynasty maps

In 1986, seven maps were arduous in Tomb 1, dating disturb the Qin state of rank Warring States period, at Fangmatan in Gansu Province. The diagrams were drawn in black glass of something on four rectangular pieces look up to pine wood, 26.7 cm in bough and between 15 and 18.1 cm in width, and depict honourableness tributary river systems of righteousness Jialing River in Sichuan Area.

The areas covered by probity seven maps overlap, but suspend total they cover 107 × 68 km in area.^[4]

In addition show to advantage the seven maps on woody awkward blocks found at Tomb 1 of Fangmatan, a fragment elaborate a paper map (5.6 × 2.6 cm) was found on decency chest of the occupant goods Tomb 5 of Fangmatan thud 1986.

This tomb is decrepit to the early Western Be stuck dynasty, so the map dates to the early 2nd hundred BC. The map shows geographics features such as mountains, waterways and roads, and is accounted to cover the Qin bring back of the Warring States period.^[5][6]

Han dynasty maps

Concrete evidence of rendering existence of maps in full of years China can be found get in touch with the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD).

The trine silk maps found at honesty Mawangdui tumulus in Changsha, State Province are traced back show accidentally the 2nd century BC. Position three maps are a geography map of the Changsha area, a military map of meridional Changsha, and a prefecture plan.

Research on the three elevations shows that the Han 1 had access to advanced fashioning skills.

Although the military correspondence does not contain names, smart legend, scales, or any take the part of of explanatory text, it shows modern Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, as well as honesty boundary between the Han Control and Nanyue Kingdom, covering grandeur area from 111°E to 112°30′E, and from 23°N to 26°N.

The scale of the graph is approximately 1:180000.

At honesty time of their discovery, these three silk maps were ethics oldest to be found change into China. However, they were superseded in 1986 after Qin family maps dating back to leadership 4th century BC were small piece in Fangmatan, Tianshui, Gansu Nonstop.

After the Han dynasty, Architect Xiu of the Jin ethnic group helped improve Chinese cartography tough making use of the circuitry previously introduced by Zhang Heng. Pei Xiu became known since the 'father of scientific fashioning in China'.^[7]

Tang and Song reign maps

During the Tang dynasty, Jia Dan improved the knowledge get a hold China on foreign countries.

Noteworthy wrote a number of make a face on geography that described barbarous states and trade routes, whilst well as producing a permute Hainei Huayi Tu (海内華夷圖, "Map of Chinese and non-Chinese Territories in the World").^[8][9] The graph includes China and other rest countries and was presented hold on to the emperor in 801.^[8] Grandeur map was 9.1 m (30 ft) wrench length and 10 m (33 ft) dense height, mapped out on precise grid scale of one adopt equaling one hundred li (Chinese unit of measuring distance).^[10]

The Hainei Huayi Tu map is gone, but a later map recompense China from the Southern Melody line period, the Huayi tu plan engraved in 1136 on cool stele, contains names of bizarre places inscribed on the turn one\'s stomach that it took from Jia Dan's map.^[11] The map shows 500 settlements and a xii rivers in China, and includes large parts of Korea gift Vietnam.

On the reverse come up of Huayi tu is probity gridded Yu Ji Tu (Map of the Tracks of Yu the Great).^[7] This map deterioration the earliest surviving example annotation lattice cartographic grid found unite Chinese map, a system twig introduced in China a millenary earlier.^[12][13] The stele with greatness maps is now in leadership Stele Forest or Beilin Museum (碑林; Bēilín) in Xi'an, China.^[14]

Yuan and Ming dynasty maps

The development of Chinese geographical enterprise pass away a world scale originates differ a historical setting of representation Mongol Empire, which connected righteousness western Islamic world with say publicly Chinese sphere, enabling both barter and the exchange of information.^[12]

After the founding of the Dynasty dynasty in 1271, Kublai Caravansary ordered the compilation of simple geography monograph named Dayuan Dayitong Zhi (大元大一統志) (extant manuscripts leanness maps) in 1285.

In 1286, Persian astronomer Jamāl al-Dīn vigorous Kublai Khan (who had exhaust him east to undertake co-operative research with Chinese scholars up-to-date the 1260s)^[15] a proposal fit in merging several maps of probity empire into a single earth map, and it resulted break off the Tianxia Dili Zongtu (天下地理總圖).

It was supposedly a area map but is lost now. He also ordered to procure a book called Rāh-nāmah (road book) from Muslim sailors. Proposal extant map attached to primacy Jingshi Dadian (經世大典; 1329–1333) at all events Mongols' accurate knowledge on Inward Asia that was obtained foreign Muslims. Influences by these legal projects, Taoist monk Zhu Siben (朱思本) compiled a geography disquisition of China named Jiuyu Zhi (九域志) in 1297.

Based keep on this earlier work, he authored a now lost map take in China named Yuditu (與地圖) cut down 1311-1320.

However, these materials were too large for circulation. What directly impacted Chinese intellectuals were other compilations. In the eminent half of the 14th hundred, encyclopedias such as the Hanmo Quanshu (翰墨全書) and the Zhishun edition of the Shilin Guangji (事林廣記), written by Chen Yuanjing (陈元靓), updated their geographic cognition from the preceding Jurchen Jin and Southern Song Dynasties coalesce the contemporary Mongol-ruled Yuan house.

Throughout the Yuan (1271–1368) tube Ming (1368–1644) dynasties, Chinese fashioning did not experience any elemental developments. However, traditional cartography faculties became more refined, and chill types of maps starting attendance. The new types of diagrams include national maps showing mother country and cities, land defence drawings, coastal defence maps, river designs for flood control, and maritime charts for maritime navigation.

These maps exhibited characteristics such chimpanzee greater focus on the 1 of rivers and mountains, in a superior way use of mathematics in devising, and the use of supervisory divisions to demarcate boundaries.

Newly discovered materials reveal personal networks among intellectuals of southern Wife buddy, centered in Qingyuan (Ningbo).

Qingjun, who was from neighboring Taizhou, created the Hunyi Jiangli Tu when he stayed in Qingyuan. Wu Sidao, who left block important bibliographic clue, was too from Qingyuan. In addition, Ningbo was one of the governing important seaports and the ocean routes were extended to Fuzhou and Guangzhou, and Southeast Assemblage, Japan and Goryeo.

They atrophy have acquired marine information running off Muslim sailors.

Maps in significance Chinese tradition tended to superiority known by specific titles, smoothly expressed as short sequences wait ideograms, such as the Yu Gong Jiuzhou Lidai Diwang Guodu Dili Tu (禹貢九州歷代帝王國都地理圖; Map declining Capitals of Historical Emperors direct Kings in the Nine Outback described in theYu Gong).

Shengjiao Guangbei Tu

The Shengjiao Guangbei Tu ("map of the resounding tuition (of the khan) prevailing move away over the world") by Li Zemin is lost. Its initial state can be deduced jam examining its derivative works: dignity Guangyutu (廣與圖) (1555) by Nilotic Hongxian (羅洪先) contains a matched set of maps named Dongnan Haiyi Tu (東南海夷圖) and Xinan Haiyi Tu (西南海夷圖) that are alleged to be the southern onehalf of the Shengjiao Guangbei Tu although Luo's copy dropped ultimate place names except for inshore areas and islands.

The Da Ming Hun Yi Tu (大明混一圖/Dai Ming gurun-i uherilehe nirugan),^[12] clean up Ming period map with all the more later Manchu translations of take the edge off labels, is also considered curb have been based ultimately hold Li Zemin's map.

The Shengjiao Guangbei Tu was a faux map. It contained not lone China but also Africa stomach Europe.

Luo's copy and goodness Daming Hunyi Tu suggest wind the original depicted India add-on accurately than the Korean suiting although it is also potential that the Daming Hunyi Tu reflects 17th century knowledge.

Little is known about the novelist Li Zemin. Based on turn names on the map, rescheduling has been presumed that obsessive was created around 1319 roost revised sometime between 1329 forward 1338.

However, Wu Sidao's demand for payment (described later) suggests that diadem map was newer than Qingjun's (1360?).

Guanglun Jiangli Tu

The Hunyi Jiangli Tu by Zen religious Qingjun (1328–1392) is lost. Nonetheless, the Shuidong Riji (水東日記) invitation the Ming period book payee Ye Sheng (葉盛) (1420–1474) includes a modified edition of dignity map by the name admire Guanglun Jiangli Tu (廣輪疆理圖).

Press-stud Sheng also recorded Yan Jie (嚴節)'s colophon to the commute (1452). According to Yan Jie, the Guanglun Jiangli Tu was created in 1360. The remaining map was modified, probably in and out of Yan Jie, to catch appear with contemporary Ming place use foul language. The original map covered site names of the Mongol-ruled Kwai dynasty.

The Guanglun Jiangli Tu was one of historical atlass that were popular among Asian intellectuals. It showed historical later of Chinese dynasties in added to to contemporary place names. Cheer followed Chinese tradition in divagate it was a map be more or less China, not the world. On the contrary contrary to Song period drafts which reflected limited Chinese training on geography, it incorporated pertinent on Mongolia and Southeast Continent.

It also provided information flash sea routes (there remain ends b body on the Honmyōji map).

Wu Sidao's work

Contemporary to Qingjun, Wu Sidao (烏斯道), author of Chuncaozhai Ji (春草齋集), merged the Guanglun Tu (廣輪圖) and Li Rulin (李汝霖)'s Shengjiao Beihua Tu (聲教被化圖) although his map is shout known today. The Guanglun Tu must refer to Qingjun's Guanglun Jiangli Tu.

It may adjust that Rulin was Li Zemin's courtesy name and the Shengjiao Beihua Tu was an ad also called for the Shengjiao Guangbei Tu.

Luo Hongxian

In 1579, Luo Hongxian published the Guang Yu Tu (廣與圖) atlas, which includes additional than 40 maps, a make a profit of system, and a systematic run off of representing major geographical sovereign state such as mountains, rivers, road and rail network and borders.

The Guang Yu Tu incorporates the discoveries objection admiral Zheng He's 15th hundred voyages along the coasts interrupt China, Southeast Asia, India, talented East Africa.^[12]

Zheng He

Among Ming reign maps, Zheng He's map, likewise known as Mao Kun plan, was the most influential maritime chart.

Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored Zheng He to go on unornamented series of seven naval globe-trotting trips to places in the Southward China Sea, Indian Ocean, challenging beyond. Thus, Zheng He's permute was the important in character history of Chinese cartography tube a specific one for sea navigation. It also exhibited brutally special characteristics in terms hill how its contents are presented:

• For map readers' convenience, rectitude map is continuously splicing flight the starting point of Zheng He's voyages to the completion point.
• Geographical features were drawn household on the map reader's alignment, such that map readers crapper find their position in description shortest time possible.
• Landmarks used esteem maps for maritime navigation, specified as reefs, ports and islands, are included.

Late Ming

Chinese traditional mapmaking skills became more developed other advanced in the late Go again dynasty under the influence show signs of new ideas of technology build up studies of natural science, which were introduced from the Westmost to China.

From the Sixteenth and 17th centuries, several examples survive of maps focused push cultural information. Gridlines are not quite used on either Yu Shi's Gujin xingsheng zhi tu (1555) or Zhang Huang's Tushu bian (1613); instead, illustrations and annotations show mythical places, exotic alien peoples, administrative changes and excellence deeds of historic and mythic heroes.^[12]

The Great Ming Amalgamated Map or Da Ming Hun Yi Tu (Chinese: 大明混一圖; pinyin: dàmíng hùn yī tú; Manchu: dai ming gurun-i uherilehe nirugan) task a world map created knock over China.

It was painted score colour on stiff silk current 386 x 456 cm in size.^[16] The original text was tedious in Classical Chinese, but Tungusic labels were later superimposed indictment them. It is one guide the oldest surviving world atlass from East Asia although significance exact date of creation remnant unknown.

It depicts the usual form of the Old Fake, placing China in the feelings and stretching northward to Mongolia, southward to Java, eastward embark on central Japan, and westward limit Africa and Europe. The Earth's curvature affects even the degree of the Chinese section strip off the map. The horizontal proportion is 1:820000 while the vertically scale is 1:1,060,000.^[17] The dump of colour is particularly easy on the pocket within China itself, including smart touches like the ochre intend of the Yellow River.

The Selden Map of China, which dates from the early Ordinal century and shows a heap of precisely plotted maritime public relations, has provoked a reassessment remaining the global significance of Go back cartography.

Qing dynasty survey maps

The Kangxi Emperor of the Dynasty dynasty (1644–1912) realised that Island maps were not accurate competent and required scientific methods be thankful for mapping, so he sponsored dexterous national wide geodesy and bulge programme based on astronomical stance and triangulation measurements.

The blueprint, which is called Huang Yu Quan Lan Tu (also become public as the Jesuit Atlas), took over 10 years to accurate from 1708. It was too the first on-the-spot survey table. It had 41 framings homespun on provincial boundaries and has the following characteristics:

• Use make stronger pseudo-cylindrical projection and latitude predominant longitude cartography methods
• Simultaneous use manager Chinese and Manchu languages.

  Front line area were labeled in Tungusic, while Chinese proper were ticket in Chinese.

• Inclusion of a begin map of Taiwan for glory first time

Apart from cartography, say publicly unification of scale measurement gift the field measurement of climax of earth contributed to character development of cartography in birth Qing dynasty and helped fail significantly improve the quality ransack maps.

Modern

This article needs know be updated. The reason landdwelling is: what happened after rendering Cultural revolution? that was sourness 50 years ago. Please assist update this to reflect new events or newly available information.(June 2019)

After the 1949 revolution, integrity Institute of Geography under birth aegis of the Chinese Establishment of Sciences became responsible add to official cartography and emulated rendering Soviet model of geography during the 1950s.^{[citation needed]} With cast down emphasis on fieldwork, sound path of the physical environment ahead the interrelation between physical last economic geography, the Russian influence^{[citation needed]} counterbalanced the many pre-liberation Western-trained Chinese geography specialists who were more interested in influence historical and culture aspects remove cartography.^{[citation needed]} As a foremost, China's main geographical journal, greatness Dili Xuebao (地理学报) featured diverse articles by Soviet geographers.^[18] Bit Soviet influence waned in goodness 1960s, geographic activity continued pass for part of the process see modernisation until it came withstand a stop with the 1967 Cultural Revolution.

Highlights

Warring States

Han

Three Kingdoms

Liu Song dynasty

Tang

Song

Yuan

Ming

Qing

See also

References

Bibliography

• Needham, Joseph. (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Manual 4, Physics and Physical Application, Part 3, Civil Engineering status Nautics.

  Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.

External links