Watercourse Journey to the Past - Selected Qing Dynasty Maps from the Tianjin Library Collection

Author: None
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Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: In the late years of the Guangxu reign, as the country opened its doors to the West and the influence of Western learning spread eastward, patriotic scholars actively advocated the establishment of modern public libraries. Mr. Lu Jing, who served as the Director of Education in Zhili Province, petitioned Emperor Guangxu to establish the Zhili Provincial Library, which was approved and completed in the 34th year of the Guangxu reign (1908). The Zhili Provincial Library is the predecessor of the Tianjin Library. At its inception, officials of both Han and Manchu descent donated their private collections, laying the foundation for the library's holdings. Over the following decades, through donations, transfers, and acquisitions, the library's collection grew to over 3 million volumes, ranking it among the top ten libraries in China in terms of collection size and influence. The rich holdings of historical documents provided the necessary conditions for our participation in the Qing History Atlas project. We contributed nearly 7,000 historical images related to the Qing Dynasty to the Qing History Atlas database project, covering various categories, with maps being particularly prominent. Therefore, for this Atlas Series, we selected maps as the publications. This book includes two major categories of maps: waterway maps and historical site maps. The waterway maps include eight types such as The Complete Treatise on River Management, The Yellow River Map of Shandong Province, The Complete Yellow River Map of Shandong Province, The Brief Complete Yellow River Map of Shandong Province, Outlines of Waterways, River Maps of the Affiliated Districts of Baoding Prefecture, River Maps of the Affiliated Districts of Ji, Zhao, Shen, and Ding in Zhili Province, and River Maps of the Affiliated Districts of Zhengding Prefecture. The historical site maps include three types such as The Map of the Imperial Palace Return Journey, The Map of the Imperial Palace in Wencheng and Weihai, and The Map of the Dagu Fortress by Zheng Jicheng in the late Qing Dynasty.
In ancient China's agrarian society, water management was a critical factor. The Complete Treatise on River Management contains numerous hydraulic images of significant value. This book was compiled by Zhang Penghe during his tenure as the River Conservator General in the 42nd year of the Kangxi reign (1703), gathering imperial edicts on inspections of river projects, memorials from successive River Conservator Generals on the governance of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Yellow River, the Huai River, and various springs. The book includes numerous maps of rivers and springs, totaling 24 in color, primarily The Complete Map of the Grand Canal, The Complete Map of the Yellow River, The Complete Map of the Huai River, The Map of the Wei River, The Map of the Lower River, The Map of Five Rivers Transporting Goods to the Grand Canal, and the maps of various springs in Shandong Province. Each map is highly realistic, with detailed depictions of dangerous sections of rivers, featuring various types of hydraulic structures such as spillways, rock dams, earth dams, circular dams, cross dams, "bamboo cage dams," and brick and board dams. The book also records the changes in river channels and water bodies along the routes, as well as the layouts of cities and towns and historical sites along the riverbanks, making it an important document for studying the governance of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Yellow River, and the Huai River, as well as urban development.
The waterway maps in Outlines of Waterways are supplementary illustrations to the 28-volume, 670,000-character Outlines of Waterways by Qi Zhao'an, which is known as the "Qing Dynasty Waterways Treatise." However, none of the existing versions in libraries include illustrations, making its value exceptionally high. From the title on the book cover's bookmark, "Qi Dazongbo's Waterways," it can be inferred that the book was written by Qi Zhao'an, who once served as Vice Minister of Rites. The book meticulously depicts the convergence of various waterways, likely based on Qi Zhao'an's participation in the empire's cartographic surveys, ensuring its accuracy.
Additionally, there are maps of the Yellow River in the late Qing Dynasty and maps of various prefectures, counties, and districts in Zhili Province. The governance of the Yellow River has always been a central focus of river management throughout history. The maps record specific dates of breaches and repairs, as well as the deployment of river guards, making them of great significance for studying the history of the Yellow River. The maps of Zhili Province are drawn according to the principle of prefecture and county divisions, providing detailed and consistent depictions of river systems. Each map meticulously illustrates the river channels of every prefecture and county, with red annotations marking the construction of embankments, bridges, and diversions in key river sections, serving as a comprehensive record of water management at the time.
Water management in the Qing Dynasty's Zhili Province was a major issue, making these three maps particularly valuable. Moreover, the overlapping sections of these waterway maps allow for comparative study.
Regarding historical site maps, the main ones are the color illustrations The Imperial Palace Return Journey Map, The Map of Historical Sites in Wencheng and Weihai, and The Map of the Dagu Fortress by Zheng Jicheng in the late Qing Dynasty. The Imperial Palace Return Journey Map depicts the emperor's journey from the Northeast to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal region, passing through 12 stations, with each station marked on the upper right corner of the first page with a yellow silk label indicating the station number and the distance to the imperial palace or camp. Based on its binding style, the map is likely a derivative of the imperial palace's scattered treasures, possibly an original submission to the court, further enhancing its value.
The color illustration The Map of Historical Sites in Wencheng and Weihai presents detailed descriptions and records of the eight scenic spots in Wencheng and Weihai. Every scenic spot, village name, and distance is meticulously noted. Notably, the map further records the number of villages, households, and residents under the local administrative unit "du," such as the number of villages, households, signs, and residents, delving into the deepest cells of social organization. This goes beyond the original function of an atlas, serving as a detailed rural administrative map and population statistics table, making it a crucial resource for studying social history.
The color illustration The Map of the Dagu Fortress by Zheng Jicheng in the late Qing Dynasty is accompanied by a note on the back by its collector Wu Yichang: "The Dagu Fortress was destroyed by the Eight-Nation Alliance in the Gengzi year. This map is likely the original design submitted for its construction. Since the Republic of China, it has been scattered by the Qing court. I obtained it from the small market in Xuan'an. I recall that after the Gengzi incident, the fortress was destroyed by foreign forces and could not be rebuilt, a deep national humiliation. Keeping this map serves as a great historical commemoration. In the autumn of the Ji year, Wu Yichang wrote this in Yan's residence." The inscription "Vice Minister Zheng Jicheng respectfully drew this" on the lower left corner of the front page confirms its status as an original submission to the court. The map meticulously depicts the fortress and camp layouts, clearly showing the completeness of the fortress system at the time, making it highly valuable for studying military history. Comparing the ruins of the Dagu Fortress after the Gengzi incident also reveals the fierce battles that took place.
In addition to their historical significance, these maps also possess artistic value. Each color illustration is executed in meticulous brushwork, resembling a scroll, offering viewers aesthetic pleasure.