| Chapter 1: | Geographical Advancements in the Mid-Tang |
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(Jingxi jingbei tujing 京西京北圖經). One was for the emperor’s own perusal, and the other served as a guide for Princess Taihe’s 太和公主 (fl. 821–843) impending journey to marry a Uighur khan. Where the princess should stay at night and where the accompanying troops could find water were—to the embarrassment of the authorities—not easy questions to answer. The route that the princess should take had long been unclear to Tang officials due to the government’s diminished territory in recent decades. Yuan Zhen came to the emperor’s aid just in time.30 According to what Yuan told the emperor, he had also finished a “Map of the Western Edge of the Great Tang” (“Sheng Tang xiji tu” 聖唐西極圖), a map of considerable scope that included many administrative regions and neighboring countries in the west.31 Given the importance of this map, he suggested to the emperor that they have a face-to-face discussion. Yuan thus advanced into a dramatic moment in his political career. The emperor arranged three private meetings with him, which showed an unusual degree of trust and appreciation. In 822, Yuan was appointed a chief minister by the emperor. 32
Han Yu, too, was an expert in maps and geography, and this expertise also proved to be crucial for his professional achievements. In 811, Han Yu was appointed to the position of the Vice Director of the Bureau of Operations in the Military Department.33 Han’s experience in the bureau gave him a working expertise in maps and military geography. In 817, he was further invited to serve as the military advisor in the Huaixi War that was aimed at a military recovery of the Huaixi area, which had long been out of the control of the central government. During this time, he was known to make accurate suggestions for marching routes.34 Moreover, a celebratory essay he wrote after the victory in the Huaixi War demonstrates that he was fully aware of the symbolic value of maps in a time of crisis. The prose piece, titled “Stele of the Pacification of Huaixi” (“Ping Huaixi bei” 平淮西碑), highlights a symbolic scene of map reading conducted by Emperor Xianzong 憲宗 (r. 805–820) right after he took the throne: