“輶轩之使”与周、秦时期的地图测绘

MINISTERS OF YOUXUAN AND THE SURVEYING AND MAPPING IN ZHOU AND QING DYNASTIES

周、秦时期（公元前841年至公元前206年），由中央王朝于每年八月派遣告使，轻车长驱，采访全国各地物产、民情、风俗、方言，利用“定南”和“计里鼓”进行测量，记录方位、里程，草绘地形，据此编制版籍（绘制地图，编制户籍等），并藏于秘室，以供朝庭了解各地经界、户口、贡赋以及军事要塞等地理信息，从而达到“人主居高堂知天下”的目的。派遣“轩之使”，用记录方式搜集资料，据此绘制地图，是周秦时期独特的地图测绘方式。

During Zhou and Qing Dynasties (841 B. C ～2O6B. C), the centraldynasty sent special ministers to visit all over the country by quick carriage in August.every year,they surveyed the natural sources, Iiving situationes and local languages usingthe instrument:' Dinglan'and'JiliGu', they made a survey of those places and recordedthe names of them,directions and distance, then they drew an initial geography map,After coming back to capital, they wrote a report, drew maps and arranged thedocuments of population and taxes, etc according to the so - obtained data, then theystored those materials into secrete rooms. These materials were prepared for emperor tounderstand the information of boundaries, population, taxes and fortresses withoutvisiting those places. In a word,sending the Ministers of Youxuan is the speciaI methodof surveying and mapping during Zhou and Qing Dynasties.