Online Teaching Units | General Maps | Topographical Maps

Online Teaching Units
• JINGBAN TIANWEN QUANTU: An 18th-century Map of the China
(www.rice.edu/fondren/etext/projects/jingban/)
Produced in the 18th century, the Jingban tianwen quantu is a map of a China-centered world, in which every country but China is relegated to the periphery. This online unit features an interactive version of the map (which the user can study in detail by choosing sections and zooming in and out), along with explanatory text setting the map in its historical context.

• A Visual Sourcebook for Chinese Civilization: Geography
(depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/geo/geo.htm)
An excellent online unit covering China's geography, focusing in particular on its land and its people. Includes several maps and numerous images.

| back to top |

General Maps
• ACASIAN (Australian Centre of the Asian Spatial Information and Analysis Network)
(www.asian.gu.edu.au)
An academic and applied research institution specializing in Geographical Information System (GIS) databases for Asia. Most data sets are for sale, but the site includes clickable demonstration maps.

• Antique Maps of China (The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd.)
(www.philaprintshop.com/china.html)
Old maps and views of China for sale as well as enjoyment.

• China Data Center, University of Michigan
(www.umich.edu/~iinet/chinadata/index.html)
A rich resource for historical, social, and natural science data on China within a geographic information system. Includes interactive maps.

• China In Time and Space, University of Washington
(citas.csde.washington.edu)
Databases of spatially- and temporally-referenced data on China. Principally for the scholar.

• Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI), University of California Berkeley
(ecai.org)
ECAI is a collaborative project that combines global mapping, imagery, and texts to provide scholars and other users with a research resource based on digital technology.

• MapQuest.com
(www.mapquest.com)
Select any city or region of China at this popular map resource. The map of Beijing zooms all the way down to 100 meter sections of the city.

• Maps and Satellite Images from Geocarto
(www.geocarto.com)
A broad array of satellite images of East Asia, as well as atlases and maps.

• Maps of China in the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas, Austin
(www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/china.html)
An extensive list of contemporary and historical maps of China found in The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection of the University of Texas, Austin.

• Local Maps of Chinese Provinces on Multimap.com
(www.multimap.com/index/CH.htm)
Part of a complete interactive Web-based world atlas, this site offers detailed local maps of places throughout China.

• Earth From Space (NASA)
(earth.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/efs/)
Beautiful satellite images taken from space of China and elsewhere in the world. Well indexed and annotated.

• MapMachine, NationalGeographic.com
(plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine)
National Geographic's Map Machine provides a range of maps on China, including political maps; a country page on China with a map and some basic facts; and a satellite image of China with place names and borders superimposed on it.

• Online Map Creation
(www.aquarius.geomar.de/omc/omc_intro.html)
An interactive site that lets you create your own maps using different projections.

• China Satellite Imagery, U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service Online
(www.fas.usda.gov/remote/china_countrypage/chindex.htm)
Emphasizing agriculture and water resources, this site provides valuable visuals of China's landscapes.

• Images of China, TerraServer from MSN
(terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com)
Clicking on the shaded areas allows the visitor to view detailed satellite images of Chinese cities and coastal areas.

• Worldatlas.com
(www.graphicmaps.com/aatlas/world.htm)
Country maps with added information in a growing database.

| back to top |

Topographical Maps
Suggested sources on the Internet for topographical maps of China are given here. Teachers are encouraged to have a topographical (or relief, contour, or physical) map on display when teaching about China. A good topographical map is essential for explaining the distribution of population in China, China's historical contact with other civilizations, and the definition of China's "core" areas. Please note that the "China: Blocked Relief Map," fourth on the list below, would be a useful teaching aid for emphasizing the geographical contours indicated on one or more of the other maps listed here.

• National Geographic Map Machine
(plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine)
This site opens to a dynamic world relief map colored according to altitude. Follow the instructions to drag and frame or to click arrow guides for zooming in on a particular area. Country borders and names and major city names are indicated.

• China: National Geographic Physical Map
(www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/view/images/chinam.jpg)
A satellite image with borders and city and country names added. Contours and altitudes are distinguished by the actual photo image colors (from green for lowlands to white for highest mountain peaks).

• China: Colored Elevation Map (on AskAsia.org)
(www.askasia.org/image/maps/ele_china.htm)
This map on the AskAsia.org Web site shows elevation with color but no relief indications. Major geographical features (mountain ranges, rivers, seas) and country borders and names are listed.

• China: Outline Map (on About.com)
(geography.about.com/library/blank/blxchina.htm?once=true&)
This page offers free blank outline maps that can be printed from the Internet, as well as links to China materials on the internet, including some of the maps listed here.

| back to top |