New China Map.

In top left a explanation key (Treaty Ports are underlined in red.)

The Manchu government was never very aggressive in its mapping activities. It was not until the Revolution of 1911 that the Chinese took a new look at mapping needs in China. Unfortunately, these mapping activities were conducted by a variety of independent agencies and bureaus that often failed to coordinate their operations and plans with one another. Unquestionably, the chaotic political/military situation in China was the major factor behind the lack of coordination in mapping.

With the success of Chiang Kai-shek's Northern Expedition of. 1927 and the establishment at last of a more effective central government, the first major thrust of modern Chinese mapping took place, lasting until the Sino-Japanese war of 1937-45. These activities can be divided into three phases or classes: engineering surveys, cadastral surveys, and military surveys.

A number of Nationalist government agencies have produced maps of China at various times. In addition to government agencies, a number of private or quasi-private organizations were active in the Nationalist period in the publication of maps, for the most part physical/political in nature, generally at medium to small scales. Four of these organizations are: (1) Jih Hsin Geographical Institute, Shanghai, 1930's.
(2) Ya Hsin Ti Hsueh She, Wuchang, 1920's - 1930's.
(3) Ya Kuang Geographical Society, 1940's - 1950's.
(4) Chinese Map Service, 1950's.

Between November 1938 and August 1939, approximately 20,000 Central European refugees, most of them Jews, landed in Shanghai. They had sailed on German, Italian, and Japanese ships and, in the short span of eight months, constituted a massive exodus. This the need for European maps of China was felt in Shanghai. - Already in 1936, a leading member of the Nazi establishment mentioned China as a possible destination for Jewish emigration. -