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92
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Reunion of two maps showing handwritten topographical itiner…
See original version (French)
92
-
Reunion of two maps showing handwritten topographical itiner…
See original version (French)
Estimate €500 - €800
Voluntary lot
Description
Reunion of two maps showing handwritten topographical itineraries, one for the route from Mong Tzé to Man Hao and the second for the route from Man Hao to Long Fo via Sin Kai.
the route from Mong Tzé to Man Hao, the second that from Man Hao to Long Fo via Sin Kai.
Tonkin, circa 1890.
Handwritten maps in black ink, bistre for the relief, road in red, river in blue, the first on tracing cloth also known as canvas.
the second on plain tracing paper.
Dimensions: 107x38 cm and 76x58 cm.
(Traces of folding, a few tears that do not affect the graphics, foxing, a few holes in the tracing paper).
the tracing).
Precious early cartographic evidence of the topography of the province of Yunnan and Upper Tonkin.
Upper Tonkin, produced just a few years before the construction of the French-financed railway linking the
to link what is now North Vietnam to South China. The concession was obtained in
1898 before work began on the legendary Indochina and Yunnan Railway from 1903 to 1910.
The two surveys show the route from the northern border of Tonkin, at Man Hao, to Mong Tzé, along the Red River.
along the Red River. The ascent from Man-Hao to Mong-Tze, rising to almost 2,000 metres, is sometimes
sometimes referred to as the "road of ten thousand steps". It was a mule track
improved by staircases, whose maintenance and planning resulted from the provisions of the Treaty of
of Tien-Tsin of 9 June 1885 and an additional trade agreement of 26 June 1887, which specifically
named the town of Mong-Tzé and the river port of Man-Hao as the customs offices and
entry points for French trade to the interior of China.
To ensure that French goods arriving at Man-Hao on the Red River could be
the Yunnan plateau to Mong-Tzé, the "ten thousand steps" mule track was the only point of passage.
"was the only crossing point. Given the dangerous and vertical nature of the trail, China signed a customs and trade agreement
a customs and trade agreement to carry out development work to enable the transit of
the transit of French trade caravans. The construction of the famous
railway line would definitively resolve the difficulties associated with this steep route, as shown by these two
two surveys taken prior to its construction.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures modified on 06/10/2026 at 11:46 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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