National Atlas of China, Vol. V, General Maps of China
China · The National War College · 1962
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Cartographical Progress: National Atlas of China
Hung, Frederick; Chi-yun, Chang · 1964
Chinese cartography boasts a long tradition of producing national atlases. This paper traces the development of China’s major national atlases, from the 1718 I T’ung Yü T’u (Atlas of the Empire), compiled with Jesuit-assisted geodetic surveys, through the widely used 1934 Chunghua Minkuo Hsin Ti-t’u (New Atlas of the Chinese Republic) issued by the Shun Pao newspaper, to the post‑World War II atlas directed by Professor Chang Chi‑yun. The focus rests on Chang’s atlas, which embodies the official Nationalist Chinese geopolitical stance on territorial boundaries. Cartographic and documentary analysis reveals that the atlas upholds Nationalist claims over Outer Mongolia and Tannu Urianhai (Tuva), rejects the MacMahon Line as the Sino‑Indian border, and does not recognize the administrative divisions established by the People’s Republic of China. It employs variable map scales for western regions and supplies paired political and topographic maps for each province. Notable features include 57 maps of Taiwan, a major languages map, and a map of the Hainan Special Administration District that extends Nationalist jurisdiction across a large portion of the South China Sea down to 4°N. The study concludes that while the atlas is an invaluable historical record of Nationalist China’s territorial assertions, its political orientation limits its utility for analyzing the geography of present‑day China.
Chinese National Atlas
Unknown · 1962
This announcement presents the publication status and research agenda related to the Chinese National Atlas project. The atlas, a five-volume series edited by Dr. Chi-yun Chang of the Institute of Geography in Taipei, has already released its first three volumes: Volume I on Taiwan, Volume II on Tibet, Sinkiang, and Mongolia, and Volume III on North China. The remaining volumes—Volume IV on South China and Volume V containing general maps of China—are anticipated to be published by October 1962. A distinctive feature of the atlas is that all place names are rendered in both Chinese and English. The editorial office has designated Dr. Jen-hu Chang at the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association Experiment Station in Honolulu as the contact for inquiries from the United States. Beyond the atlas series, the Institute of Geography has outlined several future research endeavors. Once the Chinese National Atlas is complete, work will begin on an atlas of Southeast Asia. Additional projects include a study of water resources and agricultural planning in Taiwan, an assessment of the cultural and natural resources of China, an investigation of urbanization in the Orient, and an analysis of the economic potential of Southeast Asia. This notice thus serves both as a progress report on a major cartographic undertaking and as an outline of the institute’s forthcoming geographic research priorities.
Bibliographic Note: National Atlas of China
Unknown · 1964
This article reviews the *National Atlas of China* (5 volumes, 1960–1963), edited by Dr. Chang Chi-yun. The atlas comprises five volumes covering Taiwan, the Central Asian frontier, North China (including Northwest China), South China (Central, South, and Southwest China), and a general atlas with an index of 25,000 entries. The principal scales are 1:13,000,000 and 1:17,500,000, while for China proper (Volumes 3 and 4) the base scale is 1:2,000,000, with exceptions such as 1:2,500,000 for South and Southwest China and 1:4,000,000 for Hainan Island. Volume 1 (Taiwan) employs large-scale maps, predominantly at 1:200,000 and 1:100,000, and Volume 2 uses relatively smaller scales for frontier regions. Each volume features political and topographic maps; Volumes 1, 2, and 5 also include four thematic maps, while Volumes 3 and 4 add several major-city maps. Administrative divisions follow those promulgated in 1947, with no subsequent revisions, and place-name romanization adheres to the Wade–Giles system. The atlas is compared with the earlier *New Atlas of China* (1934), highlighting its more detailed and up-to-date data, particularly for border areas and Taiwan, whose large-scale maps provide an accessible overview and comparison of physical, human, and economic conditions. The compilers extensively consult recent works by mainland Chinese geographers, reflecting the post-WWII advancement of geographical research on China. This cartographic compilation stands as an important academic reference and a significant milestone in modern Chinese geography.
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