China in Ancient and Modern Maps

China has one of the world's earliest civilizations and was the first country in the world to make maps. This volume shows how the development of cartography was an inseparable part of ancient Chinese culture and reveals the huge repository of maps in national museums, libraries and preservation centres. The examples are noteworthy, not only as documents charting the development of knowledge of China's topography, but also as works of art with great value in the study of Chinese art, architecture and social life. The book illustrates and examines over 160 maps arranged chronologically and accompanied by scientific analyses on topography and mapping technique. It concludes with a comprehensive chronicle listing important events in map-making history.