The Interactive Mao Kun Map

The Mao Kun Map is the earliest Chinese map to accurately map Southern Asia, Persia, Arabia in addition to East Africa. The map was get-go published inward the 17th century inward the military machine treatise Wubei Zhi. The introduction to the map inward Wubei Zhi suggests that the Mao Kun charts are based on documents from the expeditions of Zheng He. The Mao Kun Map is every bit good sometimes known every bit Zheng He's Navigation Map.

The map is a long strip map charting the ocean road from the Ming working capital missive of the alphabet inward Nanjing to the East Coast of Africa (the map is arranged from correct to left, starting from Nanjing in addition to finishing inward Hormuz.) You tin move follow the whole road inward unopen especial on the Interactive Zheng He Sailing Map. This interactive version of the map was created past times Professor Anthony Barbieri-Low of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The interactive map includes translations of 100 of the Chinese place-names on the map. If you lot hover over these place-names (highlighted inward blood-red on the map) you lot tin move read the English linguistic communication translation. If you lot click on a highlighted place-name you lot tin move stance the selected location on Google Maps. All these translated in addition to mapped locations are every bit good available from a drop-down menu, which provides a quick agency to uncovering a location on the map. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pocket-size inset map runs along the top of the map to demo where you lot are currently looking on the huge strip map.

The dotted lines on the map are sailing routes. The Chinese text along these routes render sailing instructions, including compass points in addition to distances. The sailing instructions are to a greater extent than detailed inward Chinese waters. The map itself is every bit good to a greater extent than accurate inward Chinese territory in addition to is less consummate the farther due west it goes.