A study on Jiaolai He Bianyi Tushuo Huiji in the Library of Congress Collection and the Jiaolai River Resolution During the Wanli Era in the Ming Dynasty
In 1602 AD(the thirtieth year of the Wanli era),Tan Jiuchou(谈九畴)surveyed the Jiaolai River and created the original atlas.In 1725 AD(the third year of the Yongzheng era),the atlas was compiled by Zhang Qianyi(张谦宜),along with other miscellaneous discourses on the Jiaolai River,under the title Jiaolai He Bianyi Tushuo Huiji(The Collection of Maps of the Jiaolai River with Explanatory Notes).It can be considered a work of significant importance for researching the water conservancy history and environmental changes of the Jiaolai River.Examining the geographical features and landscapes on the map can help reconstruct the geographical environment of the Jiaolai River Basin during the late Ming Dynasty and provide evidence for studying the development and evolution throughout historical periods.The notes of Wang Xian's(王献)and Liu Yingjie's(刘应节)efforts to excavate the Jiaolai River supplement the gaps in historical records,such as the River and Canal Records of The History of Ming Dynasty and The Veritable Records of Ming,enabling a reassessment of the contentious Jiaolai River proposal during the early years of the Wanli era.