Initiation Period (1914–1934): Geologists’ Artistic Accomplishment Reflected by Hand-Drawn Maps

In 1903, Zhou Shuren (pseudonym is Lu Xun) said in his Geological Theory of China: “Observe the national conditions is not a difficult task. There is no home-made precise geological map in its territory and its city of a non-civilized country.” In 1906, the Complete Map of China’s Mineral Resources compiled by Gu Lang and Zhou Shuren is the earliest geological map in China.

and English. Most of the maps are regional and mineral geological maps. Hand-drawn geological map reflects the personal artistic accomplishment of the geological predecessors.
Representing one of the earliest regional geological maps collected by the National Geological Archives of China (NGAC), this sketch depicts geological conditions in the vicinity of Mt. Dongting. The sketch's lines are distinct, and its gouache colors elegant. The paper is thin. The content of the sketch is simple, with legends and scale but no compass rose. The text that accompanies the map was written by Chinese writing brush ( Fig. 2.1 This geological map of an iron ore deposit was drawn by prominent Chinese geologist Hongzhao Zhang on thin, light paper with colors in gouache. The content of the map is simple, the lines are distinct, and its colors are vivid. A legend, scale, and compass rose are included ( Fig. 2.6).
These sketches depict ancient creatures in natural light using dark lines and rich textures ( Fig. 2.7).
The histograms were drawn by Weng Wenhao, one of the earliest modern Chinese geologists. The drawings are elegant, precise, and detail-oriented. The yellowed paper possesses old-fashioned charm ( Fig. 2.8).
Details are properly portrayed with smooth lines. Large areas of blank space and rolling hills highlight the map's theme. The steadily rising gentle terrain on the left of the map recalls the mystical atmosphere of a scroll painting of rivers and mountains. The sophisticated narrative technique makes the viewer feel as though a complex story has suddenly broken off, filling the plain picture with rhythmic tension. Rather than a geological profile, the map is more like a painting of a long expanse of rivers and mountains ( Fig. 2.9). This is the first geological map on a 1:100,000 scale that was independently surveyed and mapped by Chinese geologists. It was published in 1920 as the first supplementary issue of "Geological Special Report," the first regional geological monograph written by Chinese geological scientists ( Fig. 2.12). This is the first geological map of a large region with standard sheet division (1:1,000,000) compiled by Chinese geologists. One of the three small-scale geological maps with standard sheet division, it was completed under the supervision of Wenhao Weng, the acting director of the China Geological Survey during 1921-1924, and of substantial strategic significance (collection of the National Geological Library of China) (Fig. 2.13).
In this map, the contours, strata, and rock properties of a terrain in Anhui Province are depicted using single red lines. The lines are dense in the right part of the map but sparse in the left part and show the effect of relative concentration and partial sparseness, which generate an appealing contrast (Fig. 2.14).
This map depicts the distribution of lead, copper, gold, asbestos, sulfur, and pyrite in Xikang District (now the Yajiang area of Sichuan Province). The map is mainly drawn with delicate and smooth lines, which are mainly green contour lines, partially supplemented by red lines and blocks in blue, yellow, red, etc., with a neat and forceful calligraphy of regular script in small characters. These characteristics combine to lend the map an antique allure (Fig. 2.15).
The lines on the maps are elegant, smooth, precise, and clean, and the colors are bright and distinct. The frames of the maps are uncluttered (Fig. 2.16).
This schematic diagram of the production method of a potter's wheel is rendered concisely with adequate detail. The simple light effects and indicators on the drawing make the production process easily understood (Fig. 2.17).
This map is based on geological surveys by Li Siguang and exquisitely drawn in harmonious colors (Fig. 2.18).
This sketch depicts the distribution of outcrops of copper and the formation of rock strata in Daye, Hubei Province ( Fig. 2.19).

Fig. 2.19
Geological sketch of Yangxin copper mine, Daye, Hubei Province [19] Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence and indicate if changes were made.
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