Qianli Jiangcheng: A Collection of Landscape Maps of the Yangtze River Basin in the Early 20th Century

Author: Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences Press
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-11-01
Features: In the early 20th century, ancient China had not yet awakened from its slumber, and many historical and cultural cities along the Yangtze River had not yet been impacted by modern civilization. It was the most still and quiet moment before the long-accumulated storm. A Japanese man named Yamane Toshizumi, who had lived in China for twenty years and was deeply devoted to Yangtze culture, documented that era with his camera. Later, he selected over one hundred and fifty photographs from thousands, supplemented by rare images he had collected, to compile Yangtze Grand View. This was a thick and exquisite travel-style illustrated book printed using chromolithography. Many famous buildings and cities in this book, such as Lei Castle, the original Yellow Crane Tower, and the old city of Changsha, no longer exist. Examining and lamenting that history is something many "illustrated" books strive for today. In reality, we view the cities and cultural landscapes in the book as a microcosm of Chinese history, with all its vicissitudes recorded upon them.