Yeojido (Atlas of Korea)

A coloured manuscript atlas produced in the late Joseon period. It comprises three volumes; the first contains six maps, including a world map, a map of China, maps of Beijing and the Seoul City Wall, and a general map of Korea. The second volume contains provincial maps of Joseon in the style of Jeong Sang-gi's Dongguk jido (Map of the Eastern Country). The third volume includes 16 maps of the provinces of China, so that the atlas's overall composition differs from that of typical late-Joseon atlases. As for its date of production, Hyeolleungwon, the tomb of Crown Prince Sado, is marked at Suwon, and the seat of Suwon-bu is depicted as having been relocated, while Geumcheon in Gyeonggi-do appears under its name before it was changed to Siheung — indicating that the geographical content reflects the period between 1789 and 1795. The 'Cheonha dojido' in the first volume is a copy of a Western-style world map produced in China at the time, and it conveys well the world geography that Joseon intellectuals of the period had access to. The 'Joseon Ilbon Yugukguk-do' (Map of Joseon, Japan and the Ryukyu Kingdom), meanwhile, depicts the geography of East Asia centred on Joseon, and these maps are considered extremely valuable historical sources.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gwanak-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물