The Selden Map of China is named after John Selden, a London lawyer who acquired it in 1653. Its origins are unknown, and it is thought to have been produced in the early 17th century by a Chinese chart-maker, as Chinese names are used for both places and shipping routes. Despite the map’s name, the highlight of the map is not of the Chinese mainland. Instead, its focus is the close to 60 ports stretching from Nagasaki in Japan, to Hoi An in Vietnam and to Johor at the end of the Malay Peninsula, which were connected by sailing routes to Quanzhou, Fujian province. The map captures in great detail the routes and sub-routes around he Johor, Melaka and Sunda Straits, and lead towards the directions of Java, Borneo and Manila.

The Singapore Straits was noted on the map as one of the busiest points, with routes going in every direction from the southern tip of the peninsula. Meanwhile, Singapore is identified as Wu Ding Jiao Lin (乌丁礁林) in this map, and it is thought to be an attempt to translate “Ujong Tanah”, which means Land’s End in Malay.

The accuracy of these routes reflect a familiarity with navigational information in these waters, and may have documented the extent of the Chinese maritime trade network during the Ming Dynasty. The ornamentation and style of painting also suggests that the map may have been commissioned as a reference map rather than for use at sea.