A 19^th-century rubbing of the Southern Song Dynasty Yu Ji Tu (1137), or Map of the Tracks of Yu Gong, from the original stone stele in Xi’an. Yu Ji Tu was amazingly accurate for maps produced in the 12^th century; it is a milestone in the history of science, marking the outstanding achievements of cartographers in Song Dynasty.

This is a rare and important Chinese star map depicting the northern sky constellation in the upper half, and the southern sky counterpart in the inset below. The text elaborates astronomical knowledge from the perspective of Chinese philosophy, matching the celestial system with the hierarchical social structure on earth. The maps are modeled on a celestial map by Ferdinand Verbiest, reflecting the Jesuits' efforts to introduce Western astronomy to China.

See more: Hong Kong Space Museum

This is the first modern map of Qing Empire based on scientific measurement. Under the Kangxi Emperor’s auspices, the Jesuit missionaries conducted cartographical survey in China in 1708-1717, using the same triangulation method the Cassini family applied in France. Maps from the survey were first printed in China from woodblocks and presented to the Kangxi Emperor in 1718. Soon after that, the Jesuits sent them to France and entrusted them to father Du Halde, who worked in 1728 with cartographer d’Anville to produce the set of maps of China to be included in Du Halde’s publications.

This map is a Japanese print of a Chinese map published in Suzhou by Wang Jun Fu in 1663. It has Chinese text and retains the original date (2^nd year of the Kangxi reign). The Japanese printer Mihaku Umemura was active in Kyoto during the 1670s and 1680s. Produced in the early Qing period, the map still keeps “Daming” in the title. It contains rich text that describes knowledge about countries in the world, including real and mythical ones.