Carte Du Cours De La Riviere De Tunquin (1780)

Scarce c.18th French map of Cacho and the Red River delta (Hong River) flowing into the Gulf of Tonkin. Vietnam: mouth of the Tonkin river showing Hanoi (Cacho).

Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tingling, refers to the northern region of Vietnam. During the c.17th and c.18th, this term to the domain Đàng Ngoài under Trịnh lords’ control, including both the Northern and Thanh-Nghệ regions, north of the Gianh River. In 1831, the Nguyen emperor, Minh Mạng renamed the city it Ha Noi (“Between Rivers” or “River Interior”).

The Red River or Hong River begins in China’s Yunnan province in the mountains south of Dali. It flows generally southeastward, it enters Vietnam at Lào Cai Province and forms a portion of the international border between China and Vietnam. The river, known as Thao River for this upper stretch, continues its southeasterly course through northwestern Vietnam before emerging from the mountains to reach the midlands. Its main tributaries, the Black River (Da River) and Lo River join in to form the very broad Hong near Viet Tri, Phu Thọ Province. Downstream from Viet Tri, the river and its many distributaries spread out to form the Red River Delta. The Red River flows past the Vietnamese capital Hanoi before emptying into the Gulf of Tonkin.

Bellin was a French multifaceted hydrographer and geographer had an incredibly successful 50 year career producing maps. His illustrious career started at just 18 years of age when he was appointed Chief Cartographer to the French Navy in 1721. His attention to detail, accuracy and high standard of workmanship resulted in him playing an integral role to France’s leadership in European cartography. In addition to being the Chief Cartographer of France’s hydrographic office, he was also a member of the Académie de Marine, the Royal Society of London, and the Philosophes (French intellectual group). (antiqueprintmaproom)