| Abstract |
The first territorial map of the Qing dynasty was completed during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (reign: 1661-1772). The Kangxi Imperial Atlas of China (Huangyu quanlan tu) was an achievement involving the labors of both Chinese and foreign cartographers. It was published in Manchu, Chinese, and French versions. After Kangxi’s reign, the practice of drawing territorial maps continued without pause. This paper examines territorial maps produced during the Qing dynasty, with a focus on maps of the Hunchun River basin located in present-day Northeast China. Its most remarkable finding concerns place names: from the reign of Kangxi to that of Tongzhi (reign: 1861-1875), place names in the Hunchun River basin changed only slightly; but then, starting with the reign of the Guangxu Emperor (reign: 1875-1908), new place names begin to proliferate. These new place names are indicative of an influx of Han Chinese into the region, and suggest the decline of Manchu language and culture. The resulting cultural conflicts and changes were events that could not have been foreseen by the rulers of the Qing dynasty. |
