Visualizing Ports for Imperial Oversight: A Case Study of 粵海關志 (the Gazetteer of the Canton Maritime Customs)
On a fine day in eighteenth-century Canton (modern-day Guangzhou), local residents strolling along the bustling waterfront could see the impressive silhouettes of European cargo ships anchored along the Pearl River. With their towering masts and billowing sails, these vessels marked the seasonal arrival of merchants from more than seven European