Sand, Water, and Stars: Chinese Mapping of the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts

Many Chinese maps from the mid-sixteenth century onwards mark the Gobi Desert as a prominent strip visually separating China from what lies beyond. Even before that time, the Gobi, as well as the Taklamakan Desert appeared on maps. Influenced by statements from the early classic “Yugong,” Chinese scholars and Han literati during late imperial China’s history had perceived the deserts as some kind of boundary, while with the integration of these regions into Qing territory, the imperial Manchu view shifted away from the desert being a boundary. The terms for the desert as well as the graphical depiction on maps link the desert to water and to some extent also to celestial phenomena. This article explores the history and cultural significance of the desert from the Song to the mid-Qing period based on maps in relation with relevant texts and draws connections to the origins and changes of these depictions.