Brief Review of the National General Atlas: Congratulations on the Publication of the General Atlas of the People's Republic of China

Summary

The National Ordinary Atlas of the People's Republic of China has been published after years of effort by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping. The author praises it for its rich content, clear layers, fine printing, and innovation, offering national and provincial leaders a reference on the country's geography. Compared with Zeng Shiying's Shenbao Atlas, this new work has 'surpassed its master.' The article traces atlas production from manual to automated methods, discusses the role of computers and multimedia, and predicts that future atlases will evolve into expert systems with full automation, highlighting cartography's growing service to economic development and daily life.