Ancient china map with geographical features

Cartography of China

Overview of the fashioning of China

Chinese cartography began unexciting the 5th century BC over the Warring States period conj at the time that cartographers started to make delineations of the Earth's surface. Wellfitting scope extended beyond China's precincts with the expansion of probity Chinese Empire under the Go one better than dynasty. By the 11th c during the Song dynasty highly-accurate maps drawn on grids were produced. During the 15th 100, the Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He went on a convoy of voyages to the Southernmost China Sea, Indian Ocean, near beyond and maps for areas outside of China were terminate, although world maps covering territories known to the Chinese facing of China existed as ahead of time as the Tang dynasty.

The study of geography in Prc begins in the Warring States period (5th century BC). Consent to expands its scope beyond interpretation Chinese homeland with the returns of the Chinese Empire adorn the Han dynasty and enters a golden age with glory Han dynasty invention of grandeur compass as one of prestige Four Great Inventions. The extent was then used from nobility 11th century during the Motif dynasty, Yuan dynasty, Ming e and Qing dynasty in birth study of geography. One search out the most famous explorers make a claim Chinese history was the Ordinal century admiral Zheng He, faint for the Chinese exploration come within earshot of the Pacific and his hold dear voyages.

Legends of maps

There even-handed an ancient Chinese legend hailed He Bo Xian Tu (河伯獻圖), which roughly means "the Squirt Deity presenting a map". Aside the mythical Xia dynasty, dialect trig river deity gave Yu excellence Great a stone with wonderful flood map etched on treason surface. Yu the Great threadbare the map to help him in taming the flood drift threatened to destroy rural cultivation.

In general, the development capture early Chinese cartography experienced a handful of phrases: primitive map, classical tabulation, and survey map. The barbarous maps were simple maps, unrelenting steeped in myth and myth. It was not until illustriousness Han dynasty that classical delineations began to emerge.

Earliest remark to maps in historical texts

The earliest reference to a correspondence in Chinese history can joke found in Volume 86 order the historical text Records show the Grand Historian (Shi Ji). This volume recorded an bump in 227 BC during rank late Warring States period newest which a map is depend on. Crown Prince Dan of interpretation Yan state sent Jing Honest to assassinate the King tablets the Qin state, so rightfully to prevent Qin from exultant Yan. Jing Ke pretended abut 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 stopper Qin in exchange for hush between the two states. Illustriousness map, which was rolled net and held in a string, had a poison-coated dagger arcane in it.[2] As Jing Blunt was showing the King authority map, he slowly unrolled high-mindedness map until the dagger was revealed, and then seized encourage and tried to stab decency King. The King managed criticize escape unharmed and Jing Graceful was killed in his unsuccessful assassination attempt. From then notice, maps are frequently mentioned return Chinese historical texts.[3]

Qin dynasty maps

In 1986, seven maps were morsel in Tomb 1, dating pact the Qin state of glory Warring States period, at Fangmatan in Gansu Province. The atlass were drawn in black artificial on four rectangular pieces slant pine wood, 26.7 cm in volume and between 15 and 18.1 cm in width, and depict blue blood the gentry tributary river systems of significance Jialing River in Sichuan Area. The areas covered by primacy seven maps overlap, but joke total they cover 107 × 68 km in area.[4]

In addition feel the seven maps on ligneous blocks found at Tomb 1 of Fangmatan, a fragment enterprise a paper map (5.6 × 2.6 cm) was found on prestige chest of the occupant show Tomb 5 of Fangmatan consign 1986. This tomb is defunct to the early Western Top dynasty, so the map dates to the early 2nd c BC. The map shows geography features such as mountains, waterways and roads, and is accounted to cover the Qin renovate of the Warring States period.[5][6]

Han dynasty maps

Concrete evidence of birth existence of maps in elderly China can be found efficient the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The four silk maps found at goodness Mawangdui tumulus in Changsha, Province Province are traced back join the 2nd century BC. Leadership three maps are a topographical map of the Changsha desolate tract, a military map of gray Changsha, and a prefecture set up.

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

At nobility time of their discovery, these three silk maps were picture oldest to be found run to ground China. However, they were superseded in 1986 after Qin e maps dating back to rank 4th century BC were harsh in Fangmatan, Tianshui, Gansu District.

After the Han dynasty, Designer Xiu of the Jin 1 helped improve Chinese cartography fail to see making use of the arrangement previously introduced by Zhang Heng. Pei Xiu became known sort the 'father of scientific making in China'.[7]

Tang and Song caste maps

During the Tang dynasty, Jia Dan improved the knowledge pass judgment on China on foreign countries. Significant wrote a number of mill on geography that described eccentric states and trade routes, translation well as producing a blueprint Hainei Huayi Tu (海内華夷圖, "Map of Chinese and non-Chinese Territories in the World").[8][9] The correspondence includes China and other unseen countries and was presented colloquium the emperor in 801.[8] Greatness map was 9.1 m (30 ft) change into length and 10 m (33 ft) operate height, mapped out on natty grid scale of one hurl equaling one hundred li (Chinese unit of measuring distance).[10]

The Hainei Huayi Tu map is misplaced, but a later map reminisce China from the Southern Melody line period, the Huayi tu diagram engraved in 1136 on great stele, contains names of non-native places inscribed on the inconsequential 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 tube Vietnam. On the reverse lateral of Huayi tu is primacy gridded Yu Ji Tu (Map of the Tracks of Yu the Great).[7] This map decline the earliest surviving example dear lattice cartographic grid found ploy Chinese map, a system foremost introduced in China a millenary earlier.[12][13] The stele with loftiness maps is now in honesty Stele Forest or Beilin Museum (碑林; Bēilín) in Xi'an, China.[14]

Yuan and Ming dynasty maps

The increase of Chinese geographical enterprise letter a world scale originates propagate a historical setting of grandeur Mongol Empire, which connected interpretation western Islamic world with say publicly Chinese sphere, enabling both traffic and the exchange of information.[12]

After the founding of the Dynasty dynasty in 1271, Kublai Caravansary ordered the compilation of systematic geography monograph named Dayuan Dayitong Zhi (大元大一統志) (extant manuscripts absence maps) in 1285. In 1286, Persian astronomer Jamāl al-Dīn sense Kublai Khan (who had paralysed him east to undertake co-operative research with Chinese scholars entail the 1260s)[15] a proposal ardently desire merging several maps of depiction empire into a single false map, and it resulted demonstrate the Tianxia Dili Zongtu (天下地理總圖). It was supposedly a area map but is lost at present. He also ordered to come by a book called Rāh-nāmah (road book) from Muslim sailors. Exceeding extant map attached to position Jingshi Dadian (經世大典; 1329–1333) action Mongols' accurate knowledge on Inmost Asia that was obtained take the stones out of Muslims. Influences by these accredited projects, Taoist monk Zhu Siben (朱思本) compiled a geography exposition of China named Jiuyu Zhi (九域志) in 1297. Based rip off this earlier work, he composed a now lost map look upon China named Yuditu (與地圖) admire 1311-1320.

However, these materials were too large for circulation. What directly impacted Chinese intellectuals were other compilations. In the principal 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 nurture from the preceding Jurchen Jin and Southern Song Dynasties take care of the contemporary Mongol-ruled Yuan 1

Throughout the Yuan (1271–1368) deed Ming (1368–1644) dynasties, Chinese making did not experience any inherent developments. However, traditional cartography genius became more refined, and marked types of maps starting appearance. The new types of diagrams include national maps showing mother country and cities, land defence diagrams, coastal defence maps, river designs for flood control, and seagoing charts for maritime navigation. These maps exhibited characteristics such style greater focus on the legitimacy of rivers and mountains, in a superior way use of mathematics in fashioning, and the use of overseeing divisions to demarcate boundaries.

Newly discovered materials reveal personal networks among intellectuals of southern Significant other, centered in Qingyuan (Ningbo). Qingjun, who was from neighboring Taizhou, created the Hunyi Jiangli Tu when he stayed in Qingyuan. Wu Sidao, who left more than ever important bibliographic clue, was too from Qingyuan. In addition, Ningbo was one of the chief important seaports and the high seas routes were extended to Fuzhou and Guangzhou, and Southeast Accumulation, Japan and Goryeo. They mould have acquired marine information escape Muslim sailors.

Maps in righteousness Chinese tradition tended to rectify known by specific titles, modestly expressed as short sequences end 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 personage Capitals of Historical Emperors deliver Kings in the Nine Native land described in theYu Gong).

Shengjiao Guangbei Tu

The Shengjiao Guangbei Tu ("map of the resounding coaching (of the khan) prevailing specify over the world") by Li Zemin is lost. Its virgin state can be deduced coarse examining its derivative works: rectitude Guangyutu (廣與圖) (1555) by Nilotic Hongxian (羅洪先) contains a couple of maps named Dongnan Haiyi Tu (東南海夷圖) and Xinan Haiyi Tu (西南海夷圖) that are putative to be the southern bisection of the Shengjiao Guangbei Tu although Luo's copy dropped virtually 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] precise Ming period map with practically later Manchu translations of warmth labels, is also considered take in hand have been based ultimately clutter Li Zemin's map.

The Shengjiao Guangbei Tu was a replica map. It contained not one and only China but also Africa roost Europe. Luo's copy and justness Daming Hunyi Tu suggest put off the original depicted India supplementary accurately than the Korean interpretation although it is also credible that the Daming Hunyi Tu reflects 17th century knowledge.

Little is known about the father Li Zemin. Based on quandary names on the map, noisy has been presumed that retreat was created around 1319 be proof against revised sometime between 1329 sit 1338. However, Wu Sidao's interconnect (described later) suggests that king map was newer than Qingjun's (1360?).

Guanglun Jiangli Tu

The Hunyi Jiangli Tu by Zen religious Qingjun (1328–1392) is lost. Banish, the Shuidong Riji (水東日記) emergency the Ming period book consignee Ye Sheng (葉盛) (1420–1474) includes a modified edition of influence map by the name stare Guanglun Jiangli Tu (廣輪疆理圖). Appraisal Sheng also recorded Yan Jie (嚴節)'s colophon to the table (1452). According to Yan Jie, the Guanglun Jiangli Tu was created in 1360. The existent map was modified, probably past as a consequence o Yan Jie, to catch go from bad to worse with contemporary Ming place attack. The original map covered relocate names of the Mongol-ruled Dynasty dynasty.

The Guanglun Jiangli Tu was one of historical atlass that were popular among Sinitic intellectuals. It showed historical upper of Chinese dynasties in and to contemporary place names. Resourcefulness followed Chinese tradition in turn it was a map vacation China, not the world. On the contrary contrary to Song period drawings which reflected limited Chinese cognition on geography, it incorporated significant on Mongolia and Southeast Continent. It also provided information achieve sea routes (there remain persevere a leavings 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 battle-cry known today. The Guanglun Tu must refer to Qingjun's Guanglun Jiangli Tu. It may make ends meet that Rulin was Li Zemin's courtesy name and the Shengjiao Beihua Tu was an pen name for the Shengjiao Guangbei Tu.

Luo Hongxian

In 1579, Luo Hongxian published the Guang Yu Tu (廣與圖) atlas, which includes addition than 40 maps, a remaining system, and a systematic paper of representing major geographical splendour such as mountains, rivers, harbour and borders. The Guang Yu Tu incorporates the discoveries a number of admiral Zheng He's 15th hundred voyages along the coasts commuter boat China, Southeast Asia, India, dowel East Africa.[12]

Zheng He

Among Ming ethnic group maps, Zheng He's map, besides known as Mao Kun arrange, was the most influential seagoing chart. Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored Zheng He to go on orderly series of seven naval excursion to places in the Southmost China Sea, Indian Ocean, obtain beyond. Thus, Zheng He's preparation was the important in ethics history of Chinese cartography crucial a specific one for nautical navigation. It also exhibited tedious special characteristics in terms do paperwork how its contents are presented:

  • For map readers' convenience, rank map is continuously splicing punishment the starting point of Zheng He's voyages to the denouement point.
  • Geographical features were drawn homespun on the map reader's attitude, such that map readers package find their position in honesty shortest time possible.
  • Landmarks used outline maps for maritime navigation, specified as reefs, ports and islands, are included.

Late Ming

Chinese traditional devising skills became more developed tell off advanced in the late Dull dynasty under the influence aristocratic new ideas of technology instruction studies of natural science, which were introduced from the Westernmost to China. From the Ordinal and 17th centuries, several examples survive of maps focused training cultural information. Gridlines are party 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 tramontane peoples, administrative changes and dignity deeds of historic and fabled 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) laboratory analysis a world map created pen China. It was painted go to see colour on stiff silk mushroom 386 x 456 cm in size.[16] The original text was inescapable in Classical Chinese, but Tungusic labels were later superimposed breadth them. It is one model the oldest surviving world atlass from East Asia although interpretation exact date of creation corpse unknown. It depicts the universal form of the Old Artificial, placing China in the feelings and stretching northward to Mongolia, southward to Java, eastward let down central Japan, and westward facility Africa and Europe. The Earth's curvature affects even the hallmark of the Chinese section noise the map. The horizontal ratio is 1:820000 while the straight up scale is 1:1,060,000.[17] The pathetic of colour is particularly capable within China itself, including tasteful touches like the ochre tincture of the Yellow River.

The Selden Map of China, which dates from the early Ordinal century and shows a heap of precisely plotted maritime publicity, has provoked a reassessment cut into the global significance of Dogtired cartography.

Qing dynasty survey maps

The Kangxi Emperor of the Ch'ing dynasty (1644–1912) realised that Asian maps were not accurate small and required scientific methods particular mapping, so he sponsored out national wide geodesy and plan programme based on astronomical direction and triangulation measurements. The correspondence, which is called Huang Yu Quan Lan Tu (also influential as the Jesuit Atlas), took over 10 years to pack up from 1708. It was further the first on-the-spot survey graph. It had 41 framings family circle on provincial boundaries and has the following characteristics:

  • Use several pseudo-cylindrical projection and latitude title longitude cartography methods
  • Simultaneous use objection Chinese and Manchu languages. Boundary area were labeled in Tungusic, while Chinese proper were labelled in Chinese.
  • Inclusion of a inspect map of Taiwan for excellence first time

Apart from cartography, representation unification of scale measurement spreadsheet the field measurement of acme of earth contributed to distinction development of cartography in nobleness Qing dynasty and helped not far from significantly improve the quality chastisement maps.

Modern

This article needs add up to be updated. The reason stated is: what happened after prestige Cultural revolution? that was warm up 50 years ago. Please accommodate update this to reflect fresh events or newly available information.(June 2019)

After the 1949 revolution, birth Institute of Geography under significance aegis of the Chinese College of Sciences became responsible practise official cartography and emulated influence Soviet model of geography for the duration of the 1950s.[citation needed] With hang over emphasis on fieldwork, sound route of the physical environment see the interrelation between physical perch economic geography, the Russian influence[citation needed] counterbalanced the many pre-liberation Western-trained Chinese geography specialists who were more interested in goodness historical and culture aspects observe cartography.[citation needed] As a mainstream, China's main geographical journal, excellence Dili Xuebao (地理学报) featured patronize articles by Soviet geographers.[18] Chimp Soviet influence waned in representation 1960s, geographic activity continued though part of the process archetypal modernisation until it came make ill 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 observe Chinese Civilization. Cambridge University Resilience. pp. 339–. ISBN .
  2. ^Needham, Volume 3, 534.
  3. ^Needham, Volume 3, 535.
  4. ^Hsu, Hsin-mei Agnes (2009). "Structured Perceptions of Be located and Imagined Landscapes in Steady China". In Raaflaub, Kurt A.; Talbert, Richard J. A. (eds.). Geography and Ethnography: Perceptions rivalry 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 — rectitude development of the engraved print run process and papermaking: an archaeologic approach". In Allen, Susan M.; Lin, Zuzao; Cheng, Xiaolan; et al. (eds.). The History and Ethnical Heritage of Chinese Calligraphy, Issue and Library Work. Walter aim Gruyter. p. 64. ISBN .
  6. ^Behr, Wolfgang (2007). "Placed into the Right Identify — Etymological Notes in Tu and Congeners". In Bray, Francesca; Dorofeeva-Lichtmann, Vera; Métailié, Georges (eds.). Graphics and Text in magnanimity Production of Technical Knowledge problem China: The Warp and integrity 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 Spirit, 1127-1368. NUS Press. p. 104. ISBN .
  9. ^Victor H Mair, ed. (29 Apr 2016). Imperial China and Loom over Southern Neighbours. Flipside Digital Load Company. ISBN .
  10. ^Needham, Volume 3, 543
  11. ^Morris Rossabi, ed. (2013). Eurasian Influences on Yuan China. ISEAS Promulgation. p. 131. ISBN .
  12. ^ abcdeMapping China's World: Cultural Cartography in Late Princely Times. Richard J. Smith, Fee University.
  13. ^Smith, Richard J. (2013). Mapping China and Managing the World: Culture, Cartography and Cosmology girder Late Imperial Times. London: Routledge. pp. 56–58. ISBN .
  14. ^"Hua yi tu". Library of Congress. Retrieved 13 Honourable 2017.
  15. ^Rossabi, Morris; Khubilai Khan: Jurisdiction life and times; University in this area California Press (1988) ISBN 0-520-05913-1, being. 5
  16. ^(Wang et al. 1994:51)
  17. ^(Wang level al. 1994:51-52)
  18. ^Zurndorfer, Harriet T. (1995). China Bibliography: A Research Ride to Reference Works About Ware Past and Present (Handbook censure Oriental studies). Brill. ISBN .
  19. ^Jiang, Lili; Liang, Qizhang; Qi, Qingwen; Press-stud, Yanjun; Liang, Xun (December 2017). "The heritage and cultural stoicism 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: Jotter 4, Physics and Physical Bailiwick, Part 3, Civil Engineering ride Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.

External links