[Latest Detailed Map of Beijing, Japanese Translation].

1940 Map of Beijing under Japanese Occupation, World War II

Publication Date: 1940

About this Item

Very good. Light toning. Offsetting at top-right margin. Ink smudges and lines in left margin, evidently from original printing process. Size 31 x 21 Inches. This is a very rare 1940 bilingual (Chinese-Japanese) large format folding map of Beijing, published under the Japanese occupation during the Second Sino-Japanese War (World War II). Occupation Tourism This map was intended for the thousands of Japanese businessmen, tourists, and military or government figures who resided in or passed through Beijing during the war years. Although undoubtedly a document with political valence given the war and occupation, it was primarily intended for tourism. Beginning in the right margin and continuing to the left and bottom margins, information is provided on major tourist attractions beginning with the Forbidden City and its associated gates, lakes, and museums (the transition of the complex from a seat of political power to an historical and cultural relic was still recent and incomplete at this time). Next, more temples, palaces, and tombs in the Inner City, Outer City, and in the countryside surrounding the city (??) are listed. Curiously, the Great Wall of China (usually ???? in contemporary Japanese sources) is not mentioned, though hand-drawn red lines on the inset map at bottom show routes to Shahe (??), Gaoliying (???), and Shunyi (??), all in the direction of the Great Wall, suggesting that the map's original owner at least considered a trip to the wall. The reason for the wall's omission could be because it had not become anything like the easily accessible tourist site that it is today and was generally ignored in the first half of the 20th century, languishing in a state of disrepair. It may also have been because the wall had seen fighting between Japanese and Chinese forces in the recent past (1933) and was still partially in use by the Japanese military. Moreover, the Great Wall was touchy from the standpoint of the Japanese occupation, as some Chinese nationalists and leaders of the Communist Party had begun to use it as a symbol of the strength and longevity of the Chinese nation in the face of foreign invasion. Aside from the tourist sites themselves, the marginal notes provide 'representative' lists of theaters and movie houses, suggested itineraries and their associated costs, a brief history of the city, and information on streetcars, shopping, and dining. Street-level Beijing This map is remarkably detailed down to the individual street and building level, including the interior grounds of landmarks like the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven. It reflects the division of the city adopted after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, where the Inner City was separated into six districts and the Outer City into five. The map assiduously marks temples, pagodas, government offices, streetcar lines and stations, railways, and more. The makers have even gone through the effort of naming most of the individual hutong (alleyway neighborhoods). Beijing in the Republican Era (1912 - 1949) Beijing has gone through many name changes over its history, and came to resemble the city shown here in the late 13th century as Dadu or Khanbaliq, the winter capital of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. It became Beijing (meaning 'northern capital') in 1403, when the Ming Emperor Yongle moved the capital from Nanjing ('southern capital') to be closer to the front line of the ongoing war with the Mongols. Under the Ming, Beijing began to take on its modern form, with the Forbidden City, and the city walls protecting and separating the inner and outer city. The Qing Dynasty elaborated the already-grandiose Ming city with more palaces and parks. Beijing initially remained the national capital after the fall of the imperial dynasty and the transition to a republic in 1912, although central power remained weak. The imperial family continued to live in the Forbidden City until 1924, even after several failed attempts to restore the monarchy, most notably in 19.

Seller Inventory # Beijing-jianshetushuguan-1940

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [Latest Detailed Map of Beijing, Japanese Translation].
• Publication Date: 1940
• Binding: Hardcover
• Seller catalogs:
  • JAPAN-CHINA-KOREA