China’s modernization process is also a scientific process.In the process, the traditional Chinese mapping method has been gradually abandoned and the accurate, scientific Western drawing method gradually became the mainstream. Previous studies have believed this transformation as a result of new demands arising from the process of social modernization in China. Although modernization does produce a demand for scientific, accurate maps, since ancient times, whether eastern cartography or western cartography, in addition to the accurate and scientific expression of geographical elements to meet some of the functions required, there is many functions without need to establish the accurate and scientific. Therefore, the modernization of the map (including the city map) actually “narrows” the function of the map,this process can, in a sense, be regarded as a “scientificized” process under the background of the “scientism”.

“scientism”; modern China urban maps; the transformation of cartographic method; the history of the cartography; linear view of history