1851 Black Map of China

A fine example of Adam and Charles Black's 1851 map of China. The map covers China from the Chinese Tartary to Hainan and from Assam in India to Korea (Corea), inclusive of Formosa or Taiwan. Four inset maps detail Amoy, Hong Kong, ZhouShan and Hainan. The Great Wall of China is identified. Taiwan or Formosa is mapped vaguely, representing the poor knowledge of the region prior to the Japanese invasion and subsequent survey work in 1895. The map identifies both Hong Kong and Macao.

During this time in history, this region was dominated by China's last Imperial Dynasty, the Qing. As this map went to press, in 1851, the region was about to dissolved into one of the bloodiest wars in human history, the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing, lasing from 1851 and 1862, cost more than 20 million lives. Around the same time Second Opium War or the Arrow War, from 1856 to 1860, resulted in China concession of Tientsin and Hong Kong to the British.

Throughout, the map identifies various cities, towns, rivers, mountain passes and an assortment of additional topographical details. Map is hand colored in pink, green, blue and yellow pastels to define provincial boundaries. The map is engraved by W. Hughes and issued as plate no. 55 in the 1851 edition of Black's General Atlas.