Pei Xiu

Revolutionized cartography in 3rd-century China through scientific mapping methods

Pei Xiu (224–271 CE), known as the father of Chinese cartography, transformed geographical recording during the Western Jin Dynasty. His groundbreaking work Yu Gong Regional Maps introduced six essential principles of cartography that predated modern mapping systems by 1,600 years.

Unlike previous symbolic representations, Pei implemented scale measurements, directional relationships, and topographic profiling. He systematically documented road networks, waterways, and administrative divisions using grid coordinates, as detailed in World History Encyclopedia.

His innovations enabled precise military logistics and economic planning, with later cartographers like Jia Dan (730–805 CE) building upon his methods. The Stanford University collection preserves fragments of his work showing early contour lines for mountain ranges.