Chapter 32 Section 2 Why the past was brilliant

Map surveying and mapping in ancient China has set many world records, such as: The ancient map of the Warring States Period unearthed in Fangmatan, Tianshui is the earliest physical map in the world. The garrison map unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha is the earliest color military map in the world. The "six elements of cartography" proposed by Pei Xiu in the late 3rd century AD is the earliest theory of map surveying and mapping in the world. The earliest surviving printed map in my country - the "Six Classics Map" compiled and drawn by Yang Jia around the 25th year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1155), is also the earliest printed map discovered in the world.

The three-dimensional map made by Shen Kuo in the late 11th century appeared more than 700 years earlier than in Europe. The national latitude survey presided over by Guo Shoujing in the late 13th century was the one with the widest scope and the most accurate results in the world at that time. The national longitude and latitude surveying and mapping and maps made during the Kangxi and Qianlong years reached the highest level in the world at that time. Why is there such a glorious chapter in the history of map surveying and mapping in China? It is impossible for map surveying and mapping to develop in isolation. It requires not only the foundation of science and technology and productivity, but also the conditions of politics, military affairs, economy and culture.Therefore, it is by no means accidental that the map surveying and mapping in ancient China had a long period of glory.

As far as the conditions of science and technology are concerned, the Chinese ancestors had long ago possessed considerable astronomical knowledge, mastered relatively high mathematical calculation skills, and created practical measuring tools.Judging from the literature records of Duke Zhou surveying and mapping the topography of today's Luoyang area, people had mastered the preliminary surveying technology about 3,000 years ago, which could be carried out within a range of tens of square kilometers, and the results were drawn into maps.The early "Zhaoyu Map" and "Fangmatan Map" proved that by the late Warring States period in the 4th century BC, personnel with specialized surveying and mapping technology could already measure and draw relatively accurate maps under complex terrain conditions. Measurements in small areas are already quite precise.The later "Mawangdui Han Tomb Map" further proved that nearly 2,200 years ago, map surveyors had been able to survey and map complex terrain of hundreds of square kilometers.

Of course, the development of map surveying and mapping is inseparable from specific conditions.For example, the latest archaeological discoveries confirm that the use of soft pens such as brushes predated Qin Shihuang's time, and soft pens are undoubtedly superior to hard pens in drawing lines of varying thickness. The "Map of Fangmatan" was painted on wooden boards, but the "Map of Mawangdui Han Tomb" was already painted on silk.According to literature records, textiles such as silk and silk used to be the main drawing supplies before the appearance of paper, which of course presupposes the advent of fine, smooth and firm textiles.The invention and popularization of paper and printing made the results of map surveying and mapping more reliable preservation, dissemination and popularization.The national surveying and mapping during the Kangxi and Qianlong years of the Qing Dynasty is only more than 200 years away. The original map drawn at that time has long since disappeared. If there were no copies of the map printed on paper with copper plates or woodblocks, we may only be able to learn from the literature records today. Imagine the level of surveying and mapping back then.

These direct and specific conditions are of course very important, but other indirect and macro conditions are also essential. In a divided state, political and military needs may stimulate the demand for maps and promote the development of topographic and military maps.But this kind of development has great limitations after all. The scope of split regimes is limited, and it is generally impossible to go to other countries for surveying and mapping, so the maps that can be drawn through surveying are limited to a small area.Some small regimes in poor countries do not have the conditions for surveying and mapping.On the contrary, in some unified dynasties with a vast territory, it was possible to conduct nationwide geographical survey or map surveying due to the strong national power, well-organized government orders, and a wide range of direct and indirect rule.Pei Xiu’s Yugong Territory Map, Zhu Siben’s Yutu Map, Luo Hongxian’s Guangyu Map, Qing’s Kangxi Imperial Yuquanpan Map and Qianlong’s Neifu Map were all completed in the same period, and it is by no means accidental of.The unprecedented scale of latitude survey carried out in the Yuan Dynasty, and the largest and most advanced national survey of latitude and longitude in the world at that time completed in the Qing Dynasty, can only be organized and implemented by a powerful unified country.Maps such as Jia Dan's "Hainei Huayi Map" and the Song Dynasty's "Yuji Map", "Huayi Map", "Nine Regions Shouling Map", and "Geographic Map" were completed when the country changed from prosperity to decline or was unified. Although it has not been fully realized, the scope of the author's compilation includes the previous unification of the world. The main driving force driving the author to compile these maps is the pursuit of unification.

China's long-term developed administrative system has enabled the formation of a complete local administrative system since the Qin Dynasty. From the central to the local, down to the county level, there are administrative regions at all levels with clear jurisdiction.This not only creates the need to compile a very detailed map of administrative regions, but also provides extremely accurate and regular information for the compilation of national administrative region maps.From the existing ancient maps, we can find that where administrative areas have been established for a long time, the corresponding parts of the map generally have detailed place names, accurate fixed points, appropriate distances, and reasonable ranges.Compatible with this administrative system are various official and private compilations of political region geography. There are not only 14 kinds of official historical geography starting from Ban Gu's "Hanshu Geography", but also a variety of important Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties. There are also a large number of geographical works that record the history of administrative regions and changes in place names in Qing Zongzhi.These also provide a reliable basis for map compilation.Taking the nationwide map surveying and mapping during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty as an example, there were only 641 latitude and longitude points measured by Western missionaries, but there were many times more place names on the map.Moreover, surveying and mapping personnel are limited and time is tight. It is hard to imagine that it is possible to determine all the place names of a province in a few months.Apart from surveying and mapping points, the basis for marking place names on the map is the existing geographical data in various places, not the results of their surveying and mapping.

The development of maps is inseparable from the development of culture, which is also an important prerequisite for the ancient Chinese map surveying and mapping to be in the forefront of the world for a long time.Although material conditions are the basic conditions for map surveying and mapping, it is not possible to carry out this activity with certain material conditions.On the contrary, the two oldest maps we have seen so far——"Fangmatan Map" and "Mawangdui Han Tomb Map" were also relatively remote and backward areas at that time.In particular, the author of the map of Fangmatan was obviously in a rather lonely and unfavorable environment. The decisive factors for his maps to reach such a high level were his knowledge, technology and perseverance.It is China's excellent cultural traditions that make geographical works and maps, as part of the precious heritage, survive natural and man-made disasters, and continue to be passed on from generation to generation.Whenever there is a war, there will always be some people of insight who will do everything possible to protect it.Once social stability is restored, the collection and recompilation of maps, like the collation of other classics, will receive the attention of officials and scholars. Pei Xiu, Jia Dan, Shen Kuo, and Emperor Kangxi are outstanding representatives among them. Their contributions fully reflect the Chinese culture has a tradition of emphasizing maps and geographic knowledge.