This Map is Not a JPG
Culture, craft, and diplomacy—unrolled.
Welcome to Chartography—insights and delights from the world of data storytelling.
When was the last time a new map really sparked joy in your life?
I am the proud recipient of “Daona-Youjiang: Echoes of the Rice Fields.” It’s a spectacular scroll map by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Institute of Mapping. It’s over two meters wide.
Geographically, the map centers on China’s Youjiang River Basin in Guangxi province. Thematically, the map elevates the Zhuang people’s rice cultivation traditions, focusing on 那 (Nà) culture—“sweet” fertile lands.
To understand why this map exists, you need to meet the Zhuang people.
The Zhuang are the largest ethnic minority in China. Most live in southern China, especially in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where they have lived for thousands of years. They have their own language, traditions, and festivals.
You can see Zhuang textile inspirations in the map’s indigo background and brocade framing. Zhuang clothing is known for its deep indigo dyes and bold geometric patterns, often accented with silver jewelry. Traditional Zhuang brocade—handwoven on wooden looms—includes patterns that encode stories, nature, and good fortune.
The map blends modern GIS techniques with traditional visual identities to depict Zhuang culture.
White waterways thread through bright yellow rice paddies—whose areas are derived from aerial imagery.
那 (Nà) is a phonetic loan-character from Mandarin used to represent ‘sweet’ or fertile land in the Zhuang language. Many places in Guangxi, such as the city of Nanning, incorporate the 那 character in their name. Scores of place names that incorporate 那 across the river basin are labeled on the map.
The geographic map is augmented with hand-drawn depictions of agricultural practices and festival customs of the Zhuang.
The way the map balances color is sublime. I particularly love its ocean of blues and pops of magenta.
I received the map over a live virtual exchange with its designers, who are Zhuang. In return, I sent them books from Visionary Press. Our common goal was to learn about each other’s craft, gain new inspiration, and build harmonious bridges across the Pacific. Let’s call it design diplomacy.
Despite so much distance, I felt a wonderful kindred spirit talking maps with designers dedicated to information-graphic excellence. I’m impressed by people using map-design so successfully to attract attention to their cause: promoting Zhuang culture.
They told me that the map is an expression of their feelings, emotions, and respect for Zhuang art and culture.
The team is, from left to right:
▪ Lan Jing, art designer
▪ Lan Rumen, map designer
▪ Hu Weibin, head of cultural and creative industry
▪ He Jiaheng, text editor
From our time together, I learned that in addition to indigo cloth, the map’s color scheme is inspired by the multi-colored glutinous/sticky rice of the Zhuang people.
And, if that wasn’t enough rice: The overall shape of the map represents the outline of a single grain of rice. (Scroll back up, you’ll see it.)
Part of the map’s design is its superior production. This map is not a JPG image file. It is a seven-foot scroll of lush paper, printed with rich inks, mounted on wooden rollers. Could any JPG image hold a candle to such a performance?
Production matters. Your canvas matters. Packaging matters. On that last note, the map arrived in a custom cloth sleeve that sported many Zhuang hallmarks: silver bangles, geometric brocade, and indigo blue. I’m considering fabricating a wooden box for it for long-term protection.
In-person matters too. The map is not a quiet object. The map is a bridge to new exchanges, new experiences, and new people.
The map gave me cause to connect with its inspiring designers, thousands of miles away. Today, it’s reason for us to gather in San Francisco, where it has already gone on display to information-designers in my studio, and Chinese-Americans at a local school. Come visit me in Dogpatch and you can enjoy it in-person too.
Before I go, one important note for paid subscribers: Soon I will send another newsletter inviting you to preview my latest project. It relates to Isotype Institute designs. I think you’re going to love it.
Onward!—RJ
About
Chartography is the newsletter of Visionary Press and Info We Trust, by RJ Andrews.
RJ Andrews is obsessed with data graphics. He helps organizations solve high-stakes problems by using visual metaphors and information graphics: charts, diagrams, and maps. His passion is studying the history of information graphics to discover design insights. See more at infoWeTrust.com.
RJ’s book, Info We Trust, is out now! He also published Information Graphic Visionaries, a book series celebrating three spectacular creators in 2022 with new writing, complete visual catalogs, and discoveries never seen by the public.
Beautiful! 😍
Incdredible piece.