A Qing Dynasty (1644-1919) map of Shanghai discovered among a
pile of abandoned books is genuine, experts told its owner
yesterday.
Collector Gong Ming found the map last month at a recycling
station near his home in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.
Wen Juzhen, director of Shanghai Collectors Association and a
specialist in map collecting, confirmed that the map, printed in
1896, is real.
Wen said it would be helpful in shedding light on Shanghai's
history during that period. The 64 by 105 centimeters map is torn
in two and parts have been damaged.
Printed by Shanghai Zhongxi Press, it shows the city divided
into the American, British, French concessions and Chinese
territory.
"From the map, we can have a clear view of the concession
boundaries, the name of the roads, the historic architectures and
many old factories in Shanghai," said Wen, adding that some of the
buildings on the map had now disappeared.
Because of its rarity, it would be difficult to evaluate the
value of the map, according to the association director.
(Shanghai Daily July 13, 2006)
