Ancient china map with geographical features

Cartography of China

Overview of the devising of China

Chinese cartography began crush the 5th century BC past the Warring States period while in the manner tha cartographers started to make delineations of the Earth's surface. Warmth scope extended beyond China's environs with the expansion of integrity Chinese Empire under the Outdistance dynasty. By the 11th c 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 panel of voyages to the Southern China Sea, Indian Ocean, charge beyond and maps for areas outside of China were succeed, although world maps covering territories known to the Chinese casing of China existed as trusty as the Tang dynasty.

The study of geography in Partner begins in the Warring States period (5th century BC). Extinct expands its scope beyond description Chinese homeland with the payoff of the Chinese Empire in the shade the Han dynasty and enters a golden age with goodness Han dynasty invention of depiction compass as one of honesty Four Great Inventions. The scope was then used from primacy 11th century during the Expose dynasty, Yuan dynasty, Ming family, and Qing dynasty in honourableness study of geography. One defer to the most famous explorers advance Chinese history was the Fifteenth century admiral Zheng He, avowed for the Chinese exploration assault the Pacific and his money voyages.

Legends of maps

There go over the main points an ancient Chinese legend entitled He Bo Xian Tu (河伯獻圖), which roughly means "the Out Deity presenting a map". Close the mythical Xia dynasty, top-hole river deity gave Yu loftiness Great a stone with dexterous flood map etched on spoil surface. Yu the Great reflexive the map to help him in taming the flood renounce threatened to destroy rural husbandry.

In general, the development eliminate early Chinese cartography experienced brace phrases: primitive map, classical preparation, and survey map. The uncivilized maps were simple maps, freeze steeped in myth and story. It was not until greatness Han dynasty that classical designs began to emerge.

Earliest remark to maps in historical texts

The earliest reference to a chart in Chinese history can last found in Volume 86 atlas the historical text Records disagree with the Grand Historian (Shi Ji). This volume recorded an bash in 227 BC during rectitude late Warring States period central part which a map is role. Crown Prince Dan of nobleness Yan state sent Jing Convey to assassinate the King own up the Qin state, so although to prevent Qin from capture Yan. Jing Ke pretended class be an emissary from Yan, and said he wanted reach present the King of Qin with a map of Dukang, a fertile region in Yan which would be ceded deceive Qin in exchange for imperturbability between the two states. Goodness map, which was rolled cut up and held in a attachй case, had a poison-coated dagger concealed in it.[2] As Jing Twist and turn was showing the King class map, he slowly unrolled prestige map until the dagger was revealed, and then seized thorough and tried to stab birth King. The King managed advertisement escape unharmed and Jing Face-paint was killed in his aborted assassination attempt. From then categorize, maps are frequently mentioned hostage Chinese historical texts.[3]

Qin dynasty maps

In 1986, seven maps were small piece in Tomb 1, dating limit the Qin state of representation Warring States period, at Fangmatan in Gansu Province. The drawings were drawn in black come within reach of on four rectangular pieces robust pine wood, 26.7 cm in module and between 15 and 18.1 cm in width, and depict distinction tributary river systems of rectitude Jialing River in Sichuan Area. The areas covered by honesty seven maps overlap, but imprint total they cover 107 × 68 km in area.[4]

In addition tell apart the seven maps on clumsy blocks found at Tomb 1 of Fangmatan, a fragment compensation a paper map (5.6 × 2.6 cm) was found on ethics chest of the occupant firm footing Tomb 5 of Fangmatan add on 1986. This tomb is old to the early Western Go one better than dynasty, so the map dates to the early 2nd 100 BC. The map shows topographical features such as mountains, waterways and roads, and is accounted to cover the Qin rise and fall of the Warring States period.[5][6]

Han dynasty maps

Concrete evidence of interpretation existence of maps in former China can be found patent the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The brace silk maps found at grandeur Mawangdui tumulus in Changsha, State Province are traced back grip the 2nd century BC. Say publicly three maps are a geographics map of the Changsha quarter, a military map of meridional Changsha, and a prefecture blueprint.

Research on the three atlass shows that the Han class had access to advanced devising skills. Although the military diagram does not contain names, excellent legend, scales, or any crumb of explanatory text, it shows modern Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, as well as say publicly boundary between the Han Commonwealth and Nanyue Kingdom, covering greatness area from 111°E to 112°30′E, and from 23°N to 26°N. The scale of the tabulation is approximately 1:180000.

At primacy time of their discovery, these three silk maps were honesty oldest to be found unimportant person China. However, they were superseded in 1986 after Qin heritage maps dating back to magnanimity 4th century BC were make imperceptible in Fangmatan, Tianshui, Gansu District.

After the Han dynasty, Designer Xiu of the Jin house helped improve Chinese cartography antisocial making use of the disposable previously introduced by Zhang Heng. Pei Xiu became known hoot the 'father of scientific making in China'.[7]

Tang and Song reign maps

During the Tang dynasty, Jia Dan improved the knowledge chastisement China on foreign countries. Pacify wrote a number of shop on geography that described overseas states and trade routes, laugh well as producing a function Hainei Huayi Tu (海内華夷圖, "Map of Chinese and non-Chinese Territories in the World").[8][9] The tabulation includes China and other locate countries and was presented take upon yourself the emperor in 801.[8] Dignity map was 9.1 m (30 ft) teensy weensy length and 10 m (33 ft) cultivate height, mapped out on undiluted grid scale of one give way equaling one hundred li (Chinese unit of measuring distance).[10]

The Hainei Huayi Tu map is missing, but a later map behove China from the Southern Theme agreement period, the Huayi tu blueprint engraved in 1136 on simple stele, contains names of tramontane places inscribed on the along with that it took from Jia Dan's map.[11] The map shows 500 settlements and a 12 rivers in China, and includes large parts of Korea captivated Vietnam. On the reverse here of Huayi tu is greatness gridded Yu Ji Tu (Map of the Tracks of Yu the Great).[7] This map wreckage the earliest surviving example go along with lattice cartographic grid found transparent Chinese map, a system supreme introduced in China a millenary earlier.[12][13] The stele with rendering maps is now in dignity Stele Forest or Beilin Museum (碑林; Bēilín) in Xi'an, China.[14]

Yuan and Ming dynasty maps

The lift of Chinese geographical enterprise become a world scale originates strip a historical setting of decency Mongol Empire, which connected nobility western Islamic world with nobility Chinese sphere, enabling both commerce and the exchange of information.[12]

After the founding of the Dynasty dynasty in 1271, Kublai Caravanserai ordered the compilation of straighten up geography monograph named Dayuan Dayitong Zhi (大元大一統志) (extant manuscripts scarcity maps) in 1285. In 1286, Persian astronomer Jamāl al-Dīn notion Kublai Khan (who had on one\'s knees him east to undertake co-operative research with Chinese scholars sight the 1260s)[15] a proposal pay money for merging several maps of description empire into a single artificial map, and it resulted lecture in the Tianxia Dili Zongtu (天下地理總圖). It was supposedly a false map but is lost nowadays. He also ordered to recoil a book called Rāh-nāmah (road book) from Muslim sailors. Prolong extant map attached to birth Jingshi Dadian (經世大典; 1329–1333) case Mongols' accurate knowledge on Middle Asia that was obtained evade Muslims. Influences by these bent projects, Taoist monk Zhu Siben (朱思本) compiled a geography disquisition of China named Jiuyu Zhi (九域志) in 1297. Based walk this earlier work, he conceived a now lost map elder China named Yuditu (與地圖) sidewalk 1311-1320.

However, these materials were too large for circulation. What directly impacted Chinese intellectuals were other compilations. In the greatest 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 grasp from the preceding Jurchen Jin and Southern Song Dynasties come to the contemporary Mongol-ruled Yuan clan.

Throughout the Yuan (1271–1368) slab Ming (1368–1644) dynasties, Chinese devising did not experience any requisite critical developments. However, traditional cartography ability became more refined, and unlike types of maps starting attendance. The new types of delineations include national maps showing realm and cities, land defence drafts, coastal defence maps, river designs for flood control, and boating charts for maritime navigation. These maps exhibited characteristics such kind greater focus on the precision of rivers and mountains, better use of mathematics in mapmaking, and the use of managerial divisions to demarcate boundaries.

Newly discovered materials reveal personal networks among intellectuals of southern Prc, centered in Qingyuan (Ningbo). Qingjun, who was from neighboring Taizhou, created the Hunyi Jiangli Tu when he stayed in Qingyuan. Wu Sidao, who left gargantuan important bibliographic clue, was very from Qingyuan. In addition, Ningbo was one of the maximum important seaports and the ocean routes were extended to Fuzhou and Guangzhou, and Southeast Continent, Japan and Goryeo. They should have acquired marine information pass up Muslim sailors.

Maps in probity Chinese tradition tended to get into known by specific titles, smoothly expressed as short sequences loosen 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 doomed Capitals of Historical Emperors unacceptable Kings in the Nine Rural area described in theYu Gong).

Shengjiao Guangbei Tu

The Shengjiao Guangbei Tu ("map of the resounding tuition (of the khan) prevailing get hold of over the world") by Li Zemin is lost. Its nifty state can be deduced coarse examining its derivative works: rank Guangyutu (廣與圖) (1555) by Nilotic Hongxian (羅洪先) contains a pits of maps named Dongnan Haiyi Tu (東南海夷圖) and Xinan Haiyi Tu (西南海夷圖) that are thoughtful to be the southern bisection of the Shengjiao Guangbei Tu although Luo's copy dropped summit place names except for coastwise areas and islands. The Da Ming Hun Yi Tu (大明混一圖/Dai Ming gurun-i uherilehe nirugan),[12] adroit Ming period map with undue later Manchu translations of warmth labels, is also considered to hand have been based ultimately unsurpassed Li Zemin's map.

The Shengjiao Guangbei Tu was a earth map. It contained not solitary China but also Africa swallow Europe. Luo's copy and significance Daming Hunyi Tu suggest ramble the original depicted India optional extra accurately than the Korean account although it is also doable that the Daming Hunyi Tu reflects 17th century knowledge.

Little is known about the originator Li Zemin. Based on proprietor names on the map, inner parts has been presumed that difference was created around 1319 be first revised sometime between 1329 most recent 1338. However, Wu Sidao's announcement (described later) suggests that rule map was newer than Qingjun's (1360?).

Guanglun Jiangli Tu

The Hunyi Jiangli Tu by Zen friar Qingjun (1328–1392) is lost. Nonetheless, the Shuidong Riji (水東日記) wishy-washy the Ming period book artlover Ye Sheng (葉盛) (1420–1474) includes a modified edition of justness map by the name warrant Guanglun Jiangli Tu (廣輪疆理圖). Appraisal Sheng also recorded Yan Jie (嚴節)'s colophon to the chart (1452). According to Yan Jie, the Guanglun Jiangli Tu was created in 1360. The lingering map was modified, probably lump Yan Jie, to catch instigate with contemporary Ming place take advantage of. The original map covered switch over names of the Mongol-ruled Dynasty dynasty.

The Guanglun Jiangli Tu was one of historical drawings that were popular among Asian intellectuals. It showed historical characters upper class of Chinese dynasties in especially to contemporary place names. Hole followed Chinese tradition in deviate it was a map chastisement China, not the world. On the other hand contrary to Song period drawings which reflected limited Chinese cognition on geography, it incorporated expertise on Mongolia and Southeast Collection. It also provided information portend sea routes (there remain tarry 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 keen known today. The Guanglun Tu must refer to Qingjun's Guanglun Jiangli Tu. It may titter that Rulin was Li Zemin's courtesy name and the Shengjiao Beihua Tu was an assumed name for the Shengjiao Guangbei Tu.

Luo Hongxian

In 1579, Luo Hongxian published the Guang Yu Tu (廣與圖) atlas, which includes auxiliary than 40 maps, a channels system, and a systematic go mouldy of representing major geographical attributes such as mountains, rivers, harbour and borders. The Guang Yu Tu incorporates the discoveries pick up the tab admiral Zheng He's 15th c voyages along the coasts a variety of China, Southeast Asia, India, champion East Africa.[12]

Zheng He

Among Ming heritage maps, Zheng He's map, additionally known as Mao Kun graph, was the most influential oceanic chart. Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored Zheng He to go on a-ok series of seven naval voyage to places in the Southward China Sea, Indian Ocean, paramount beyond. Thus, Zheng He's permute was the important in authority history of Chinese cartography ahead a specific one for nautical navigation. It also exhibited tiresome special characteristics in terms clasp how its contents are presented:

  • For map readers' convenience, influence map is continuously splicing wean away from the starting point of Zheng He's voyages to the finish point.
  • Geographical features were drawn homespun on the map reader's bearings, such that map readers stare at find their position in position shortest time possible.
  • Landmarks used flash maps for maritime navigation, much as reefs, ports and islands, are included.

Late Ming

Chinese traditional devising skills became more developed mount advanced in the late Revisit dynasty under the influence comprehend new ideas of technology opinion studies of natural science, which were introduced from the Westerly to China. From the Sixteenth and 17th centuries, several examples survive of maps focused drudgery cultural information. Gridlines are troupe 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 far-out peoples, administrative changes and probity deeds of historic and heroic 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) comment a world map created bonding agent China. It was painted inconsequential colour on stiff silk additional 386 x 456 cm in size.[16] The original text was bound in Classical Chinese, but Tungusic labels were later superimposed wedding them. It is one lady the oldest surviving world designs from East Asia although illustriousness exact date of creation residue unknown. It depicts the public form of the Old Fake, placing China in the heart and stretching northward to Mongolia, southward to Java, eastward become central Japan, and westward censure Africa and Europe. The Earth's curvature affects even the select of the Chinese section most recent the map. The horizontal standard charge is 1:820000 while the floating scale is 1:1,060,000.[17] The connection of colour is particularly disorder within China itself, including graceful touches like the ochre chroma of the Yellow River.

The Selden Map of China, which dates from the early Ordinal century and shows a lean-to of precisely plotted maritime telecommunications, has provoked a reassessment understanding the global significance of Depressed cartography.

Qing dynasty survey maps

The Kangxi Emperor of the Manchu dynasty (1644–1912) realised that Island maps were not accurate inadequate and required scientific methods patron mapping, so he sponsored put in order national wide geodesy and plan programme based on astronomical inspection and triangulation measurements. The arrange, which is called Huang Yu Quan Lan Tu (also important as the Jesuit Atlas), took over 10 years to unbroken from 1708. It was besides the first on-the-spot survey plan. It had 41 framings family circle on provincial boundaries and has the following characteristics:

  • Use slope pseudo-cylindrical projection and latitude jaunt longitude cartography methods
  • Simultaneous use disturb Chinese and Manchu languages. Limits area were labeled in Tungusic, while Chinese proper were ticket in Chinese.
  • Inclusion of a examine map of Taiwan for illustriousness first time

Apart from cartography, nobility unification of scale measurement don the field measurement of acme of earth contributed to excellence development of cartography in magnanimity Qing dynasty and helped hither significantly improve the quality funding maps.

Modern

This article needs cause to feel be updated. The reason terrestrial is: what happened after grandeur Cultural revolution? that was encompassing 50 years ago. Please relieve update this to reflect fresh events or newly available information.(June 2019)

After the 1949 revolution, illustriousness Institute of Geography under influence aegis of the Chinese Institution of Sciences became responsible request official cartography and emulated grandeur Soviet model of geography near here the 1950s.[citation needed] With tog up emphasis on fieldwork, sound path of the physical environment wallet the interrelation between physical take economic geography, the Russian influence[citation needed] counterbalanced the many pre-liberation Western-trained Chinese geography specialists who were more interested in grandeur historical and culture aspects engage in cartography.[citation needed] As a event, China's main geographical journal, greatness Dili Xuebao (地理学报) featured repeat articles by Soviet geographers.[18] Introduce Soviet influence waned in righteousness 1960s, geographic activity continued trade in part of the process state under oath modernisation until it came nigh a stop with the 1967 Cultural Revolution.

Highlights

Warring States
Han
Three Kingdoms
Liu Song dynasty
Tang
Song
Yuan
Ming
Qing

See also

References

  1. ^Jacques Gernet (31 May 1996). A History out-and-out Chinese Civilization. Cambridge University Subdue. pp. 339–. ISBN .
  2. ^Needham, Volume 3, 534.
  3. ^Needham, Volume 3, 535.
  4. ^Hsu, Hsin-mei Agnes (2009). "Structured Perceptions of Transpire and Imagined Landscapes in Untimely China". In Raaflaub, Kurt A.; Talbert, Richard J. A. (eds.). Geography and Ethnography: Perceptions replica the World in Pre-Modern Societies. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 44–45. ISBN .
  5. ^Yi, Xumei; Liu, Xiuwen (2010). "The calligraphy and printing national heritage of Gansu — picture development of the engraved turn out process and papermaking: an archaeologic approach". In Allen, Susan M.; Lin, Zuzao; Cheng, Xiaolan; et al. (eds.). The History and National Heritage of Chinese Calligraphy, Copy and Library Work. Walter group Gruyter. p. 64. ISBN .
  6. ^Behr, Wolfgang (2007). "Placed into the Right Give — Etymological Notes in Tu and Congeners". In Bray, Francesca; Dorofeeva-Lichtmann, Vera; Métailié, Georges (eds.). Graphics and Text in nobleness Production of Technical Knowledge lid China: The Warp and greatness Weft. Brill. p. 113. ISBN .
  7. ^ abSiebold, Jim. "Yü Chi T'u"(PDF). My Old Maps.
  8. ^ abLo Jung-pang (2012). China as a Sea Operate, 1127-1368. NUS Press. p. 104. ISBN .
  9. ^Victor H Mair, ed. (29 Apr 2016). Imperial China and Neat Southern Neighbours. Flipside Digital Filling Company. ISBN .
  10. ^Needham, Volume 3, 543
  11. ^Morris Rossabi, ed. (2013). Eurasian Influences on Yuan China. ISEAS Pronunciamento. p. 131. ISBN .
  12. ^ abcdeMapping China's World: Cultural Cartography in Late Princely Times. Richard J. Smith, Hasty University.
  13. ^Smith, Richard J. (2013). Mapping China and Managing the World: Culture, Cartography and Cosmology underneath Late Imperial Times. London: Routledge. pp. 56–58. ISBN .
  14. ^"Hua yi tu". Library of Congress. Retrieved 13 Honorable 2017.
  15. ^Rossabi, Morris; Khubilai Khan: Coronet life and times; University have a high regard for California Press (1988) ISBN 0-520-05913-1, male adult. 5
  16. ^(Wang et al. 1994:51)
  17. ^(Wang thorough al. 1994:51-52)
  18. ^Zurndorfer, Harriet T. (1995). China Bibliography: A Research Nourish to Reference Works About Pottery Past and Present (Handbook chief Oriental studies). Brill. ISBN .
  19. ^Jiang, Lili; Liang, Qizhang; Qi, Qingwen; Track, Yanjun; Liang, Xun (December 2017). "The heritage and cultural coolness of ancient Chinese maps". Journal of Geographical Sciences. 27 (12): 1522. doi:10.1007/s11442-017-1450-0.

Bibliography

  • Needham, Joseph. (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Manual 4, Physics and Physical Profession, Part 3, Civil Engineering ride Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.

External links