Overview
From Paula Curtis Collection[1]: This map project describes the Postal Relay system under Mongol Rule in around ca. 1350. It is based on primary sources like《經世大典·站赤》 and 《元史》 and many others which are collected and analyzed in Baohai Dang’s book, Mengyuan yizhan jiaotong yanjiu 蒙元驿站交通研究 (The State Transport of the Mongol Empire; Beijing: Kunlun Press, 2006). It also incorporates other secondary sources, like GIS website information, “Havard’s Late Ming Courrier Stations and Routes“and map by Hosung Shim in his article “The Postal Roads of the Great Khans in Central Asia under the Mongol-Yuan Empire”.
In this map, 942 postal stations are found out of more than 1500 stations recorded in Dang’s book and these stations include river stations, dog stations and normal horse stations. Moreover, stations in 12 Provinces are categorized in detail. These stations and routes are represented as geographic layers in both English and Chinese in ArcGIS Online map.
The map does not aim for accuracy of the exact location of the postal stations but for an approximation of the transportation network so that viewers could further understand how artwork like Buddhist woodblock prints could be transported. Additionally, two layers, “Yiheimishi Buddhist temple” layer and “Buddhist printing center or place of circulation ” layer are placed above this postal relay to visualize their spatial relationship made possible this network.
- Institution/Author: Shih-shan Susan Huang
- Period: Premodern
- Geographic Focus: China,East Asia,Asia,Mongolia
- Access: Open Access
Digital Humanities Resources on East Asia by Dr. Paula R. Curtis ↩︎