The Old Preface to the Terrestrial Map

As a youth, I studied the classics and learned of the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces original: "九州" (Jiuzhou); an ancient name for the regions of China. Upon reading the Records of the Grand Historian and seeing how Sima Qian The father of Chinese historiography traveled throughout the world, I was filled with deep admiration. Later, I climbed Mt. Kuaiji, sailed across Lake Dongting, and traveled freely through the regions of Jing and Xiang. I surveyed the Huai and Si rivers, crossed the lands of Han, Wei, Qi, and Lu, and followed the tracks of carts through Yan and Zhao until I reached the capital itself. From there, by imperial decree, I performed sacrifices at Mt. Songgao, went south to the Tongbai Mountains, and further south to Mt. Zhurong until I reached the sea.

Everywhere I went, I questioned the elders about local lore, searched for ancient ruins, and examined how the borders of prefectures and counties had changed over time. I contemplated the names and realities of the mountains and rivers, testing them against the stone inscriptions of the Map of the Tracks of Yu original: "禹迹圖" (Yuji Tu); a famous 12th-century map in Ganyang and Anlu, and the Map of the Unified Empire from Jian’an. I realized then that the works of my predecessors were riddled with errors.

I resolved to exhaust my heart and strength to correct them. I consulted the Commentary on the Water Classic by Li Daoyuan of Wei, the Tongdian An encyclopedic history of institutions, the Records of the Nine Realms from the Yuanfeng era, and the current Great Unified Record of the imperial library. I meticulously compared ancient and modern accounts and measured distances. Even when I discovered discrepancies, I did not dare rely solely on my own judgment. When scholar-officials of the court were sent on missions to the four corners of the empire, I would always ask them to verify details with the provincial governments and gather the words of many. I drew maps for each location and eventually merged them into one.

Beginning in the year Xinhai of the Zhida era [1311] and ending in the year Gengshen of the Yanyou era [1320], my work was finally completed. Within it, rivers and mountains are intricately woven like embroidery; cities, roads, and passages are connected in every direction, both straight and winding. Everything is laid out with the utmost precision. As for the lands southeast of the surging seas and northwest of the deserts—though various foreign tribes occasionally arrive to pay tribute—they are so remote and isolated that there is little evidence to examine. If the accounts were not detailed, I could not include them; if they were detailed but untrustworthy, I could not believe them. Therefore, I have left those areas blank for now.

Alas! I have traveled the four directions since I was a boy, and now my hair is turning gray. I have researched and discussed almost everything. This map is the ambition of my entire life and the result of ten years of labor. I hope that those who view it in the future will know that I did not produce this lightly.

Written on the Winter Solstice of this year by Zhu Siben, also known as Benfu, of Linchuan.

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Preface to the Enlarged Terrestrial Atlas

In my youth, I suffered from a frail and sickly body. Finding the Internal Classic original: "素問" (Suwen); a foundational Chinese medical text and other medical books difficult to understand, I developed a great interest in the arts of nourishing life. I once sat silently in a room, reducing my food and drink, but within ten days I became even more emaciated. I consulted a physician, who said: "Your illness is a blockage of energy; medicine and acupuncture cannot work quickly enough." He took a Diagram of the Hall of Light An anatomical map of acupuncture points and pointed to the "Ren" and "Du" meridians, the extraordinary vessels, and the various yin and yang channels of the hands and feet. He performed moxibustion according to the pressure points and followed it with herbal decoctions and nourishing meats. After several months, I recovered.

I thanked the physician, saying: "How could the theory of root causes and urgent treatments be false?" Later, as I traveled to and from the capital, I heard friends discuss the 'urgent' and 'strategic' situations of the world. I began to study the historical traces of how famous men of the past governed the land. My only regret was that I could not hear the full details regarding the terrain's difficulty, or how the prefectures and counties were linked. Without knowing the physical reality, one cannot investigate where to advance or retreat, what to take or what to abandon—much less discuss success and failure.

I once surveyed the maps and records of the empire, but they were a chaotic mess. Some were overly detailed, others sparse, and most were inaccurate in their distances. Out of a hundred maps, not one could be easily relied upon. After three years of searching, I happened to acquire the map by the Yuan dynasty scholar Zhu Siben. His map used the method of calculating miles through a grid system, making the physical reality reliable. By following his method of dividing and combining, the east and west were balanced and there were no contradictions.

Consequently, I used everything I had seen to expand upon what he had not finished. I enlarged his work into dozens of maps. Because I could not carry the originals everywhere, I kept copies in the mountains. Without outside help, I spent more than ten winters and summers to complete this. The human body has meridians, organs, and hidden passages, each with different names that cannot be guessed; yet even a common physician using moxibustion or needles can hit the correct point and trigger a reaction. Is this not because the measurements on the medical chart are grounded in evidence?

Zhu's grid system seems to have originated with him. Zhu was a man from Linchuan, profoundly learned and widely traveled. His own preface states this map took ten years of effort; if he had not seen it with his own eyes or reached it with his own feet, he did not dare write it down. This can be called the height of diligence. His grid system is a feat of clever thinking that others cannot match. However, the official histories of the counties do not record his name, and his maps are rarely seen. Perhaps his original work has been lost? Alas, who knows if my own maps will not also be considered "superfluous objects" in the future? I began to regret my labor, realizing that since my body was already ill, I had misapplied my mind and lost track of what was "urgent." I have written this preface and stored the atlas away as a way to reflect on my own faults.

I noted that Zhu’s original map was seven feet long and wide, making it difficult to roll and unroll. I have now used the grid system to reorganize it into a book format. Respectfully, I observe that:

The Great Ming Shines Like the Sun in the Heaven

Our imperial influence knows no borders, far surpassing both ancient and modern times. To observe our virtue, I have created one General Map of the Terrestrial Realm, showing the capital regions and foreign lands, with the people and the defense installations supporting each other according to established laws. I have created sixteen maps of the Two Metropolitan Areas and Thirteen Provincial Administrations, showing how princes and dukes establish defenses—never forgetting danger in times of peace. To maintain the great boundary between China and the borderlands, I have created nine Frontier Maps.

Mountains and valleys can hide illness; sometimes there is unrest, and rebellious forces hide like snakes and tigers. The merit of governance lies in "cleansing" these areas; thus, I have created five maps of Tao River, Songpan, Qianzhen, and Mayang. I have recorded the governance of the Yellow River and the Grand Canal, creating three maps of The Sea, the Grand Canal, and the New Canal, showing how the flow of water is managed. To prepare for unexpected hardships, such as those at the Sanggan River or the Zhaling Pass during difficult times, I have created three maps to show the limits of governance.

The four seas are joined; from the northern shores to the deserts, from the Huai to the Xu rivers, the water and land routes are prepared for the annual transport. Foreign kings from the four directions come to pay tribute to the Middle Kingdom. I have concluded the work with four maps of Korea, the Ryukyu Islands, Vietnam, and the Western Regions.

Wherever the maps were too complex to be joined together, I have created sixty supplementary maps. The names and shapes of mountains, rivers, and cities are intertwined; words cannot express everything, so I have used twenty-four symbols to simplify the text. Any corrections or omissions are for the reader to observe.

◎ Denotes a Prefecture (Fu) □ Denotes a Department (Zhou) △ Denotes a County (Xian) 〇 Denotes a Town (Zhen) ▱ Denotes a Postal Station (Yi) ⬥ Denotes a Fort (Bao) ⬯ Denotes a Guard (Wei) ⊡ Denotes a Station (Suo) ◫ Denotes a Colony (Tun) ◬ Denotes a Stronghold (Shi) ◪ Denotes a Wall (Bi) ◰ Denotes a Peaceful Area (An) ◱ Denotes a Pacified Area (Fu) ⧈ Denotes a Return/Circuit (Hui) ◲ Denotes a Long-term Base (Chang) ⊟ Denotes an Official Office (Guan) ◳ Denotes an External Post (Wai) ◴ Denotes a Military Camp (Ying) ▦ Denotes a Mountain Path Text 2 Boundary