Cheonggudo(2008-2)

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1594-2

Category

Craft

Era

19세기

Designated year

2008

Location

경산시, 경상북도— 경상북도 경산시 대학로 280 (대동, 영남대학교)

Coordinates

35.828527, 128.759375

With the cover title Cheonggudo, literally a “Map of the Blue Hills,” as Korea was referred to by the Chinese, this is the first general map of Korea made by Kim Jeong-ho (1804-1866), the father of Korean cartography. Kim completed this map in 1834, joining in the efforts which had been under way among local mapmakers since the late 18th century to overcome problems with conventional maps and further contributing his creative ideas. Kim tried to enhance the practical value of maps by combining geographic information that had only been recorded in gazetteers. As a result, the maps here contain historical and geographical information about individual counties such as the number of households, farmland areas, troops available for mobilization, amounts of grain collected as taxes, distance to the capital city, and sites of major historic events. This is how the map attained its unique composition as a comprehensive source of relatively detailed historical and geographical information about each region. Preserved at the Yeungnam University Library, the well-organized, hand-drawn colored maps are in excellent condition. They have outstanding historical and academic value.

Location