Map of Southern Zhili

Each square represents 100 li

original: "南直隷輿圖每方一百里"

Number Eight

A woodblock printed map shows Southern Zhili province. It features a scale grid where each square represents 100 li, a traditional unit of distance roughly equal to 50 kilometers. The map illustrates the coastal geography of eastern China, including the paths of the Yangtze River, labeled as the Great River, and the Huai River. Major bodies of water like Lake Tai and Lake Hongze are included. Administrative centers are marked with circles to denote major prefectures and departments. Mountains are drawn in a traditional pictorial style. The coastline appears on the right or east side, while inland areas extend to the west and north.

Major Prefectures and Departments

Region	Administrative Units
Eastern and Coastal	Huai'an Prefecture, Yangzhou Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, Songjiang Prefecture, Tong Department, Tai Department, Haimen, Chongming
Central	Yingtian Prefecture The secondary capital, known today as Nanjing, Zhenjiang Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, He Department, Chu Department, Taiping Prefecture, Guangde Department
Western and Inland	Fengyang Prefecture Significant as the ancestral home of the Ming dynasty's founding emperor, Si Department, Luzhou Prefecture, Anqing Prefecture, Lu'an Department
Southern	Ningguo Prefecture, Chizhou Prefecture, Huizhou Prefecture

Hydrology and Geography

The Great Sea The East China Sea and Yellow Sea, the Great River The Yangtze River, the Huai River, Lake Tai, Lake Hongze, Lake Gaoyou, and the Yellow River original: "Old Course". During the Ming dynasty, the Yellow River flowed into the sea south of the Shandong Peninsula, often merging with the Huai River.

Southern Zhili (Nanzhili): A massive administrative region in Ming China. It encompasses modern Jiangsu, Anhui, and Shanghai. It was "directly governed" by the secondary capital at Nanjing.

Prefecture (Fu): A high-level administrative division governing several counties.

Department (Zhou): An administrative unit often smaller than a prefecture but larger than a county. Some reported directly to the provincial level.