Fonds SC71 - Chart of the southern coast of China

1 scroll and 1 case

Donated by Sir George Staunton on 5 February 1825.

A map of the southern coast of China, in the form of a scroll, covering the area of present-day Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi. Labels various major towns and smaller islands along the coast, including Guangzhou, Chaozhou, present-day Hong Kong and Macao and more, with a scale bar and legend. Also indicates locations of settlements and military structures such as towers and forts, with text describing the depth of water and distance from the coast at various points. Measures 40cm high and 485cm wide. The map was removed from its original wooden case which is now kept together.

An accompanying typed note refers the item as 'Ch'ou hai t'u pien' (籌海圖編), No. 429 on page 75 of Samuel Kidd's catalogue and a donation by Sir George Staunton. This catalogue reference appears to be incorrect, as it does not correspond to Kidd's Catalogue of the Chinese Library of the Royal Asiatic Society (1838), but Henry Holt's A Catalogue of the Chinese Manuscript in the Library of the Royal Asiatic Society (1890). However, Holt's entry describes a set of 8 volumes of 'Ch'ou hai t'u pien' published in 1624, instead of a single map, and this scroll could not have been part of the volumes.

It is possible that this map was adapted from those originally published in 'Ch'ou hai t'u pien', with extra information added to it, and was specially made for Staunton. Another source from which this map might have taken reference is 'Ya nhai quan tu' (沿海全圖), part of 'Hai guo wen jian lu' (海國聞見錄), compiled by Chen Lunjiong in 1730.

Open. Please contact the Archivist.

• chinois

With various paper repairs on the lower part of the scroll. Care must be taken when unrolling the scroll.

This item was catalogued by James Liu, RAS Archivist, in July 2025.