<Introduction> New map of the Republic of China and new provincial maps of China, published by Shen Bao Press

Summary

This article reviews The New Atlas of the Republic of China and its abridged edition, The New Provincial Atlas of China, compiled as a sixtieth-anniversary project of the Commercial Press. Initiated by geologist Ding Wenjiang and edited by Weng Wenhao and Zeng Shiying with materials collected by the Geological Survey in Nanjing, the atlases are presented as evidence of the growing independence of Chinese scholarship, advances in printing, and sustained institutional support for scientific cartography. The review compares their formats and contents: both include national maps of administrative divisions, physical geography, transportation, climate, population, cities, mineral resources, and agriculture, while the larger atlas additionally provides paired physical and human-geographical maps for twenty-two regions and twelve city maps. Technically, the works employ Albers and polyconic projections, improve positional accuracy by checking early and recent survey data against original sources, and depict relief clearly through colored contour lines. Their extensive place-name coverage, large indexes, phonetic and four-corner lookup systems, and statistical appendices substantially enhance usability. The author concludes that these atlases surpass previous China-related cartographic publications and constitute indispensable references for geographical research. More broadly, their achievement demonstrates that mapmaking can serve as an indicator of national cultural and scientific development and offers a benchmark for future atlas production in Japan.