original: "海國圖志" (Haiguo Tuzhi). The title literally translates to "Records and Maps of the Sea Kingdoms." This encyclopedic work on world geography and Western technology was compiled by the scholar-official Wei Yuan (1794–1857) following China's defeat in the First Opium War.

This cover showcases a classic example of stab-stitched binding (known as xian-zhuang), where the pages are bound together by silk threads visible along the right-hand edge. The white vertical label, or title slip (tiqian), features the book's title in formal calligraphy, set against a traditional dark indigo-blue paper cover.

Compiled in 1842, this work was a landmark attempt by Chinese intellectuals to look beyond their borders. It provided the first detailed accounts in Chinese of the geography, politics, and military technology of Western nations, famously advocating for the "learning of superior foreign techniques to control foreigners."