Map of Taiwan

The "Map of Taiwan" (created during the Qianlong era) measures 667 cm long (horizontally) and 46 cm wide (vertically). A scroll-type paper-based color painting, the "Map of Taiwan" adopts a landscape painting method, featuring bright and elegant picture and an artistic value surpassing all existing maps of Taiwan. Although the name of the map and the year in which the map was drawn are unknown, researchers generally believe that it was made between 1756 and 1759 based on the method in which the government offices, local government seats, and administrative areas are divided. The orientation of the map differs from that of common maps in that the top, bottom, left, and right denote east, west, north, and south, respectively. The map stretches from Shamajitou (modern-day Maobitou) in the south to the City of Dajilong in the North as well as from mountains in the East to seas in the West. The map contains several offshore islands, sandbank, reefs, and the Penghu Islands. All mountains, bays, rivers, islands, sandbank, counties, government offices, temples, and forts on the map are clearly labeled. The map also features the names of more than 1,000 locations, including 330 Taiwanese aboriginal tribes, over 400 Chinese settlements, and more than 200 administrative/military posts such as the armies, government seats, temples, and tangxun, making it crucial, first-hand information detailing place name changes in Taiwan.