Watercourse Journey to the Past: A Selection of Qing Dynasty Maps from the Tianjin Library

Author: Tianjin Library Editorial Department
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: In the late years of the Guangxu reign, as China opened its doors to the West under the influence of Western learning, 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 Tianjin Library. At its inception, officials of both Han and Manchu descent donated their personal collections, laying the foundation for the library's holdings. Over nearly a century of development through donations, transfers, and acquisitions, the library's collection grew to over 3 million volumes, ranking it among China's top ten libraries 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 The rich holdings of historical documents provided the necessary conditions for our participation in the Qing History Atlas project.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, we selected maps as the first batch of publications for the Qing History Atlas series. This book includes two major categories of maps: waterway maps and ancient 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, The Outline of Waterways, The River Map of the Baoding Prefecture, The River Map of the Ji, Zhao, Shen, and Ding Directories under the Zhili Province, and The River Map of the Zhengding Prefecture. The ancient site maps include three types, such as The Map of the Imperial Palace Return Journey, The Map of Ancient Sites in Wending and Weihai, and The Map of the Dagukou 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 a wealth of hydraulic illustrations, holding significant value. Compiled by Zhang Penghui during his tenure as the River Conservator in the 42nd year of the Kangxi reign, the book gathers imperial edicts during inspections of river projects, memorials from successive River Conservators on managing the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Yellow River, the Huai River, and various springs. It 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 Wei River Map, The Lower River Map, The Five Waters Transporting Map, and maps of various springs in Shandong Province. The maps are highly realistic, with detailed depictions of dangerous sections of the rivers, featuring various types of hydraulic structures such as roller dams, rock dams, earthen dams, circular dams, cross dams, "bamboo grid dams," and brick and board dams. They also record changes in river channels and water bodies along the routes, as well as the layouts of cities, famous scenic spots, and ancient sites along the riverbanks. These maps are invaluable for studying the management of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Yellow River, and the Huai River, as well as the development of urban structures.
The waterway maps in The Outline of Waterways are supplementary illustrations to the 28-volume, 670,000-character Outline of Waterways, a work known as the "Qing Dynasty Waterways Atlas" compiled by Qi Zhao'an in the 26th year of the Qianlong reign (1761). While existing versions in various libraries lack illustrations, the value of this work is immense. The title "Qi Dazongbo's Waterways" on the book cover's bookmark suggests it 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 his participation in the empire's geographical surveys, ensuring the accuracy of the maps.
Additionally, there are late Qing maps of the Yellow River and maps of various prefectures, counties, and districts in Zhili Province. The management of the Yellow River has always been a central focus of historical river management efforts. The maps record specific dates of breaches and repairs, as well as the deployment of river guards, making them crucial for studying the history of the Yellow River. The maps of Zhili Province, drawn according to county divisions, provide detailed and consistent depictions of river systems within their jurisdictions. Each map meticulously illustrates the river channels of every prefecture and county, with red annotations marking the construction of embankments, bridges, and diversion channels at key river sites, serving as comprehensive records of water management at the time.
Water management in the late Qing Dynasty's Zhili Province was a significant issue, making these maps particularly valuable. Moreover, the overlapping sections of these waterway maps allow for comparative study.
Regarding ancient site maps, the main works include the color-printed Map of the Imperial Palace Return Journey, the color-printed Illustrations of Ancient Sites in Wending and Weihai, and the color-printed Map of the Dagukou Fortress by Zheng Jicheng in the late Qing Dynasty. The Map of the Imperial Palace Return Journey depicts the emperor's journey from the Northeast, passing through Fengtian Ningyuan Prefecture to Tongzhou before returning to the capital, covering 12 stations. At the beginning of each station's section, the upper right corner of the first page is marked with yellow silk labels indicating the station number and the distance to the palace or camp. Each station accommodated either a palace or a large camp. Based on its binding style, the map is likely a derivative of imperial artifacts, possibly an original submission to the court, further enhancing its value.
The color-printed Illustrations of Ancient Sites in Wending and Weihai presents detailed descriptions and records of the eight scenic spots in Wending and Weihai. Every scenic spot, village name, and distance is meticulously noted. Notably, the map further records the number of villages, households, and population under the local administrative units called "du" (wards), reflecting a depth of social analysis down to the most basic grassroots level. This goes beyond the original function of topographic maps, serving as a detailed rural administrative map and population statistics table, making it a vital resource for studying social history.
The color-printed Map of the Dagukou Fortress by Zheng Jicheng in the late Qing Dynasty is accompanied by a note on the back by its collector Wu Yichang: "The Dagukou Fortress was destroyed by foreign forces during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. This map likely served as the original design when it was first proposed. Since the Republic of China, it has been scattered from the Qing court, and I acquired it from the small market in Xuanwai. I recall after the 1900 Boxer Rebellion, this fortress was destroyed by foreign invaders and could not be rebuilt, a deep national humiliation. Keeping this map serves as a historical of our nation. In the autumn of 1919, 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 provides detailed depictions of the fortress and camp layouts, clearly showing the completeness of the fortress system at the time, making it invaluable for studying military history. Comparing the ruins of Dagukou Fortress after the 1900 Boxer Rebellion also reveals the brutality of the battle.
In addition to their historical significance, these maps also possess artistic value. Each color illustration is meticulously painted in fine brushwork, resembling a scroll, offering viewers aesthetic pleasure.