1980 Chinese Schematic Railroad Map of China

An interesting 1980 official Chinese government map of the railroad systems of China, including Taiwan. This starkly modern map exhibits no geographical content, rather, in the spirit of London Underground maps of the 1920s and 1930s, focuses exclusively on the railroad network and connections.

Railroads in China

The first railway to be built in China was a 600-metre narrow gauge demonstration line that a British merchant assembled in Beijing in 1864 in hopes of securing a national contract from the Qing government. The Emperor was unimpressed and ordered the railroad disassembled. The next effort, again by the British, was built in 1876 without Qing approval between Shanghai and Woosung (Baohan, Shanghai). Following the First Sino-Japanese War (1894 - 1895), the Qing began to recognize the advantage of railroads, and modern technology in general, and began granting construction contracts. Railroad construction continued throughout the remaining years of the Qing Dynasty and during the Republic of China Period (1912 - 1949). During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1839 - 1945), Japanese companies also built numerous railroads in the occupied territories. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the new government under Mao Zedong invested heavily in the railway network. From the 1950s to the 1970s, railroad lines throughout the country were dramatically expanded. Some lines, particularly in the mountainous regions of southern and western China, were not completed until recently.

Publication History and Census

This map was published in 1980. Examples are rare outside of China and we have identified one institutional holding at Stanford.