1937 ROC Beiping Works Bureau Administrative Wall Map of Beijing

The best, largest, and most important map of Beijing made before World War II. This is an astounding wall-sized Republic of China era administrative map of Beijing (Beiping) dating to January 1937 (Mingou 26). This map was issued just months before the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the Battle of Beiping-Tianjin, the opening of the Second Sino Japanese War, and the subsequent Japanese occupation of Beijing. Measuring 85.5 x 79.5 in (217.17 x 201.93 cm), this enormous work is the largest and most detailed map of Beijing (or Beiping) yet produced. When commissioned by 21st Beijing mayor Yuan Liang (袁良, 1882–1953), more than 10 years had passed since the last major map of Beijing was issued - which was both on a smaller scale and inaccurate.

A Closer Look

The present is the first map of Beijing / Beiping to be based upon advanced modern triangulation survey techniques - it is also one of the largest single map of Beijing ever made. The map offers meticulously accurate topographical, urban, and political information, naming individual street lights, historic hutongs, post boxes, fire towers, public restrooms, and more. In total, there are 78 types of civic markers identified in the legend. Topography is show with a western-style contouring system. Streets and avenues as well every single hutong - traditional alleyways associated with siheyuan or traditional courtyard residences - are exactingly identified. Most of these have vanished today, making this an exceptional record of 'Old Beijing' on the cusp of change. A sub-map identifying the survey's triangulation points appears to the right of the main map

Publication History and Census

The map is dated using the Minguo (民國) system common during the Republic of China administration. Survey work for the map was ordered by Beijing mayor Yuan Liang and completed between Minguo 23 - 24 (1934 - 1935). It was compiled under his Yuan's successor, Song Zheyuan (宋哲元, 1885 - 1940), in late 1936, and printed in January of Minguo 26 (1937). This is an official publication issued exclusively for government administrative use, by the ROC Beiping Municipal Government Works Bureau (北平市政府工务局测). It was not commercially distributed thus printed in very limited numbers (1000) for government offices. We have been able to isolate only one known example outside of China, at University of Chicago (f 3086 111.41). Others likely survive in Chinese institutional collections. The last known example to appear on the market was in a Chinese auction in 2007, where it was acquired by the private Beijing Archives, who had been looking for this important map for more than 10 years.