Schematic Map of the Qing Dynasty Manchu Empire in the year 1910 AD, a year in which its sovereignty had been under threat and siege for over 70 years. On the Map one can make out how the the Manchu Qing Dynasty Empire found itself encircled by the rising Russian Empire in the north, and attacked, knawed at and invaded by the British Empire in the south west and all along the Coastal Regions (with other Foreign Powers joining in).
In this Map of the situation as it presented itself around the year 1900 AD, after the Japanese annexation of Korea but some 10 years before the final end of China's Feudal History, China is depicted more or less its smallest boundaries and definition. Most notably Manchuria (currently Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces), and Inner Mongolia, both territories nominally under Chinese Control and under Chinese Sovereignty are depicted as separate area's.
Altogether special interest may be payed to Mongolian inhabited regions of the once great Qing Empire, which are shown here as continuous with Manchuria but not a part of China proper. At the same time Western Territories of the Manchu Empire ("Chinese" Turkestan) aka Xinjiang are depicted as connected and continuous with the Chinese heartland, yet the Altay in the north of current day Xinjiang as well as Dzungaria are (already) counted as part of the Russian Empire.
As for Tibet, although it has been invaded by British and Indian forces in 1901, in a few years Tibet is only nominally under the control of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and soon will declare independence). The Mongolian grasslands, The Manchurian Hills and the large large and mineral rich strategic regions of Chinese Turkestan and Tibet were equally under interest of outside Parties Japan and Russia and India-Britain and already under dispute long before the year 1900 AD.
Clearly marked are the so called "Treaty Ports", which were sea and later river harbors that were forcably opened under treaties forced on China after crushing defeats in the "Opium Wars" 1840 AD and 1860 AD. Although they cannot all be shown on this Map, some of the main strongpoints of Imperialist Powers have been marked on the Map for reference and in order to show more of the extend of encirclement of the Manchu Qing Empire which included all of China.
Other interesting features of the Map and geography of the Time : after the Sino-Japanese war of 1895 AD, both Korea (1910 AD official) and the Island of Formosa (now Taiwan / ROC) have been annexed by the Japanese Empire.
