Catalog of Ancient and Antique Maps in Chinese and Foreign Languages: 6,827 Items Held by the Beijing Library

Author: Cartographic Group, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, National Library of China
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-12-01
Features: ★16-inch paperback, published by Beijing Library Press (predecessor of the National Library of China) in January 1997, 1st edition, 1st printing ★Compiled by the Cartographic Group, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, National Library of China ★Rich in content and diverse in types, including world maps, Chinese maps, provincial and municipal maps, river maps, border defense maps, regional maps, and various thematic maps ★Comprehensive bibliographic records, fully reflecting the information status of ancient and rare maps in the collection of the National Library of China
Excerpt:
Supplement to the Catalogue of Chinese Rare Books – History – Biographical Records Category 【Tongzhi】 (Surviving 186 volumes, 151 copies) (National Library Catalogue, Volume 50) (National Library) Yuan Dynasty edition [9 lines, 21 characters (29.2×19.5)] Written by Zheng Qiao of the Song Dynasty. This edition is missing volumes 11, 18, 97, 103, 171, and 192-200, totaling 14 volumes. According to the National Library of China, there are five incomplete copies of this book, which can be pieced together to form the complete set. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, to ensure the safety of rare ancient books, the National Library of China packed all rare books into 300 boxes and transported them to Shanghai, storing them at the Science Society Library in the French Concession on Yalber Road. Later, they were moved to the Zhendan Museum on Louban Road. In June 1940, due to France's temporary defeat in World War II and the looming threat of Japanese searches in the French Concession, the Director of the National Library of China, Yuan Tongli, sought help from the then-American ambassador Hu Shih. After discussing with Yuan Tongli, Hu Shih decided to transport these rare books to the United States and store them in the Asian Division of the Library of Congress. Later, Hu Shih sent San to Shanghai to investigate the situation and prepare for the transportation of these rare books to the United States. On February 5, 1941, San arrived in Shanghai at great risk to his life and rushed to transport these rare books. However, due to the Chinese customs being under Japanese surveillance at the time, the transportation of the books was difficult. Eventually, San spent three weeks opening the 300 boxes of books, selecting the best ones, and repacking them into 100 boxes, totaling 2,720 species of books. Due to the Chinese Nationalist government's insufficient attention to the country's cultural heritage, the process of transporting these 100 boxes of books out of Shanghai was delayed. San had to go to the United States in late May to discuss the matter with Hu Shih. Later, with Yuan Tongli's help, the books were eventually transported to the United States. San spent four years writing bibliographic records for these 2,720 species of books and creating microfilm copies, which are now stored in the Rare Books Room of the National Library of China. San made significant contributions to preserving the country's precious ancient books. After San's death, while organizing his manuscripts, I discovered that some of the bibliographic records he had written were lost. Due to the urgency of publication, I first compiled the "Catalogue of Chinese Rare Books" using the records I had found, with revisions by Mr. Yang Dianxun and Mr. Fu Zhenlun, and sent it to Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, which was published in August 1983. In the spring of 1983, when I moved from the 10th Apartment in Langrunyuan to the 34th Floor in Yandongyuan, I further organized San's manuscripts and books and discovered 770+ bibliographic records of history books and nearly 10 of philosophy books (detailed in the preface written by Mr. Fu Zhenlun at the beginning of the supplement). These are the bibliographic records included in the supplement, mostly history books. After the supplement was compiled, it was reviewed by Mr. Fu Zhenlun and Mr. Yang Dianxun, checked by Mr. Ding Yu and Mr. Chen Shaoye at the National Library of China, and provided with reference books for borrowing. Mrs. Ji Shuying proposed constructive suggestions for the arrangement of bibliographic records of local chronicles, Mr. Pan Huiren compiled index cards, and Mr. Zang Jian compiled the index. The Book and Periodical Literature Publishing House then printed the supplement as a separate volume, allowing San's bibliographic records to be available to readers earlier. The wording of my "Postscript" is largely adopted from the "Biography of Wang Zhongmin" written by Cui Wenyin, included in the eighth volume of "Biographies of Modern Chinese Social Scientists" edited by the Jinyang Academic Journal Editorial Department of Shanxi People's Publishing House in July 1987. I also sincerely thank Cui Wenyin for reviewing and refining the "Postscript" in his busy schedule. I am deeply grateful to the above units and comrades!
When San was in the United States, he visited the Gestalt East Asian Library at Princeton University to appraise the rare books in their collection and wrote bibliographic records for 1,000 books. However, the manuscripts were left at the library. Later, Mr. Qu Wanli was invited by the library to write prefaces for all the rare books and revise San's bibliographic records, compiling "A Catalogue of Chinese Rare Books at the Gestalt East Asian Library of Princeton University," published by the Taiwan Arts and Literature Press in 1974. Therefore, these 1,000 bibliographic records are not included in the supplement. In the "Postscript" to the "Catalogue of Chinese Rare Books" published in 1983, I mistakenly wrote about the curriculum vitae of my brother-in-law, Professor Shi Youzhong. He originally taught at the English Department of Zhejiang University and later moved to the United States to teach Chinese literature and philosophy at the University of Washington in Seattle. I previously mistakenly recorded him as teaching at the Chinese Department of Hangzhou University and later teaching at the University of Seattle in the United States. I hereby correct this and apologize to Professor Shi Youzhong.
Recorded on the 15th anniversary of San's death, April 16, 1990, in the year of the Gregorian calendar.