Daedongyeojido, or Map of the Great East, is a massive map of Korea created with woodblocks in 1861 by the renowned cartographer, Kim Jeongho. The map features precise delineations of mountain ridges, waterways, and transportation routes, the latter of which are carefully plotted with dots approximately every 4 kilometers. In addition, notable administrative and cultural areas and sites are marked with a variety of symbols comparable to today’s cartographic signs. An estimated sixty woodblocks, engraved on both sides, were required to make the map, with each woodblock being carved from lime trees that were around one hundred years old. The original set of woodblocks was completed in 1861, but they were continually revised until 1864, when the second edition of the map was printed. Daedongyeojido is generally regarded as the greatest cartographic achievement in Korea before the modern period, with detail and precision that compare favorably to modern maps made with advanced surveying equipment and techniques.
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