Gansu Province, China - Maps Index, by China Report.com

The Gansu Province Historical Maps Index gives acces to all Historical Maps relevant to Gansu Province and Area's of Specific Interest within that Province, as used and/or produced by ChinaReport.com. Please use these Maps to find your way easily around the Province, Cities, Area's and many Monuments & Landmarks.

A Satellite image Based Map of China and East-Asia, with a super-imposed schematic Map of the Location and Path of the Great Wall as constructed during the Reign of the Ming Dynasty.

Included for reference are Locations and Names of Passes on the Great Wall of China and their significance. Further Reports link to More Photos and History & Backgrounds of each Great Wall of China Site. Further depicted are City names, geographical features of landscape, rivers and more.

A Schematic Map depicting the Full Length and main pathways of the Ancient Silk Road during the Han Dynasty Period (206 BC - 221 AD) and Roman Age (30 BC - 630 AD).

In 30 BC the Roman Empire started trading with India, which was already well known from the

Conquest of Alexander the Great (+/- 330 BC). In the following 6 centuries the West would Trade with India and indirectly also with China through the Silk Road. The Silk Road only lost its Value after the European Age of Discovery and the Establishment of Maritime Trade Routes with India (16Th Century) and later China. The Yellow River is crossed at Lanzhou, after which Dunhuang is the Last Station in China.

A Schematic Map depicting other details along the Full Length and main pathways of the Ancient Silk Road during the early Han Dynasty Period (206 BC - 221 AD).

As seen from China the Silk Road extends due Westward from Chang'An (Xian) the Han & Tang Dynasty Capital. The Yellow River is crossed at Lanzhou, after which Dunhuang is the Last Station. This

A Schematic Map depicting the Full extends of the Han Dynasty Empire and its trade relations with neighboring States and Neighboring Peoples and Tribes.

Marked on the Map are the locations of Main Cities of the Han Empire, Han Military Garrisons and Strongpoints, locations of Tributary States (mainly in the West) and the Pathways of Sections of the Great Wall of China constructed during the Han Dynasty Reign Era.

Special Links provide access to additional information on each individual site.

A Schematic Map of the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan (TeMuJin) and descendants through its several stages of conquest in its short but Impressive Existance in History. Timeline depicts the Mongol Conquest starting in the Year 1206 AD, when Genghis Khan first united the Mongol-Turkic Tribes of Mongolia and Lake BayKal becoming Great Khan. The Timeline continues through the year 1219 AD, the year 1223 AD taking Transoxiania, 1227 AD, 1237 AD when the Northern Jin Dynasty of China was annihilated, 1259 AD conquering ancient China above the Jiangste River and 1279 AD when all of China was taken and the Yuan Dynasty Eastablished under the Kublai Khan. Last is the Year 1294 AD when the Mongol Empire reached its largest geographical size and Zenith, 22% of world land area, but through lack of central leadership and over-expansion fragmented into 4 large parts, then imploded upon itself.

A Schematic Map of the Eurasian Trade Routes existing in the 13Th Century. Clearly marked in Red Accent on the Map are the cities of the network of land-bound trading routes through Central Asia known as the Silk Road (the path of Marco Polo and others). Marked in Blue Accent are the Main Ports and Harbors of the Maritime Trade Routes that operated between the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and Coastal Cities, the Straights of Malacca, the South-China Sea's and beyond. As shown Maritime Trade to China mainly entered through Southern Harbors, then was distributed internally by use of the Grand Canal, the Yangtse River and the Yellow River.

Map includes the Route travelled by Marco Polo, William of Rubruck and John of Pian de Carpine, the three famed European Travelers of the Time.

Locations of Main Trading Ports and Cities on Trade Routes of the Time are marked.

This Schematic Map shows the entire "Journey to the West" as made by the Chinese Monk Xuanzang in the years 629 AD to 645 AD.

The Path of the Journey to India led though China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The Return Journey led through Pakistan and Afghanistan to reach Kashgar in current day Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Because the (Han) Chinese Cultural Zone during the Tang Dynasty Era only reached as far as Dunhuang, where the Great Wall began, Xuanzang had to travel south-east from Kashgar via Yarkant and Hotien (Khotan) along the South Route around the Taklamakan Desert to finally return to his native China in 645 AD.

A Schematic Map of Historical Tibet, today Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and a part of Sichuan province.

Included for reference are current International Borders, provincial borders, locations and names of main cities and towns, main rivers and lakes, mountains, important Tibetan-Buddhist Monasteries and other places of significance.

Further Reports link to More Photos and History & Backgrounds of each City, Town or Ethnic Community of Yugur, Dongxiang Tibetan, Lhoba, Kazakh, Mongol or others where available.

Today Tibet only exists as Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Tourist visits require an aditional visa !

Map showing the 7 Military Commands or Military Districts in defense of The Peoples Republic of China.

Originally thirteen military regions were established in the 1950's, but the number was reduced to eleven in the late 1960's. The resulting eleven military regions - Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Xinjiang, Jinan, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou (including Hainan Island), Wuhan, Chengdu, and Kunming - were reduced to seven in the period 1985 - 88 AD. Currently, the active military districts include Lanzhou- including the former Urumqi MR, part of the Himalayan Mountains in North-West Tibet and Aksai Chin, Chengdu Military Region including the former Kunming MR, Nanjing, which includes the former Fuzhou MR, Beijing, and Shenyang. Finally Guangzhou and Jinan Military Regions both appear to include parts of the former Wuhan MR.

The military regions are further divided into military districts, usually contiguous with provinces, and military sub-districts.

A Schematic Map of Historical East Asia at around the year 1900 AD and the turn into the 20Th Century.

Although the Manchu ruled Qing Dynasty Empire had previously conquered large parts of East Asia, including much of Korea, parts of current day Siberia, most of Mongolia, East Turkestan, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs and other tribal lands while subjecting Tibet to a subjugary role nominally ruled for its taxes but yet remote and inaccessible behind its mountainous walls, at the turn of the 20th Century the outer regions of the Qing Empire have been eroded away, much of the north and west increasingly under Russian control while in the south and along the coast Britons and others had fought their way into the Chinese Realm. Notably, Korea has been annexed by Japan and Tibet is shown as a de facto independent territory. Tibet will be invaded by Britain in 1901 AD and will declare Independence not long there after at the fall of

the Manchu Dynasty and the end of Manchu rule over China but also Mongolia and Manchuria in 1911 AD. Other groups such as Mongolians, Kazakhe and Kyrgyz will likewise attempt to reestablish their National independence after the fall of the Manchu Empire.

A Schematic overview Map of the current Peoples Republic of China depicting the main route(s) of the epic Long March of 1934 and 1935.

Map clearly delineates PRC China current National borders and includes Provinces and Autonomous Regions, Main Cities and relevant Towns, initial Communist Soviets (Self-administered rebel areas), the routes followed by various elements among the Communist Groups and Armies, locations of important meetings points, main natural obstacles such as mountain ranges, the flow of large rivers such as the Yangtze River and Yellow River, position of the Great Wall of China in Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, North Shaanxi Province etc, rough estimated routes of main railroads of the time and other details of interest.

Mouse over locations and link through for additional information on each location.