Map of the Ancient City of Suzhou

Author: Zhang Yinglin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: China has a long history of mapmaking, with dedicated institutions and officials established in each dynasty to oversee the creation and preservation of maps. Unfortunately, due to the materials used—such as silk, paper, bamboo, and wood—maps were not easily preserved over time, leaving very few to be passed down through generations. Yet, Suzhou has miraculously preserved many ancient city maps drawn continuously since the Southern Song Dynasty, which is truly rare. These surviving ancient city maps exhibit the following characteristics:
First, there is a relatively large number of maps. A rough estimate shows that Suzhou currently holds approximately forty ancient city maps drawn from the Southern Song Dynasty to various periods, including standalone maps and those included in gazetteers. Among these, nineteen standalone maps are drawn in chronological order, forming a series—a phenomenon rarely seen in other cities in China.
Second, the maps were created in early times. For example, the stone-carved Pingjiang Map from the Southern Song Dynasty (1229) has been nearly eight hundred years old. While the City Map of Changsha unearthed from the Western Han Dynasty’s Mawangdui site is earlier in date, and the Chang’an Map carved by Lü Dafang during the Northern Song Yuanfeng era is also earlier. However, the former is too simplistic, and the latter only survives as a few fragments. Therefore, the Pingjiang Map from the Southern Song Dynasty stands out as the earliest and best-preserved ancient city map in the world, making it unique.
Third, the maps exhibit a high level of craftsmanship, some of which can even rival modern maps. For instance, the dual checkerboard layout of Suzhou’s ancient city, with its intersecting waterways and streets, as depicted in the Southern Song Pingjiang Map, remains accurately reflected in reality today.
Fourth, the maps come in diverse editions, including stone carvings, woodblock prints, lithographs, lead prints, and hand-drawn versions, vividly showcasing the historical evolution of map printing in Suzhou. Some of these maps are now out of print, making them rare and valuable not only historically and scientifically but also as cultural artifacts.
Fifth, due to the wide time span of the surviving Suzhou city maps, their captions and signatures clearly reveal the evolving functions and increasing integration into daily social life.
Sixth, many of the maps were drawn by Suzhou-based artists. For example, Xu Yang, the creator of the Gusu City Map during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, is also renowned for his Prosperous Era Map.