Caohe tuzhi 漕河圖志

Caohe tuzhi 漕河圖志 "Illustrated records to the Grand Canal" is a book on the famous Imperial Canal on which tribute grain (caoliang 漕糧) was transported from southeast China to Beijing in the north.

The 8-juan long book, compiled under the name of of Wang Qiong 王瓊 (1459-1532), courtesy name Dehua 德華, style Jinxi 晉溪 or Shuangxi Laoren 雙溪老人, was finished in 1496. Wang was Director of the Grain Transport section in the Ministry of Works (caohe gongbu langzhong 漕河工部郎中).

His book was inspired by the lost book Caohe tongzhi 漕河通志 written by Wang Shu 王恕 (1416-1508), who had been Vice Minister in the Superintendancy of the Grand Canal (zongli hedao shilang 總理河道侍郎). This text was revised, newly arranged and partially shortened. The result explains the course of the Grand Canal from Yangzhou 揚州, Jiangsu, to Beijing, that of its riverine tributaries, the management of the Canal, construction work, the administration of the grain transport, and also includes sources on the Canal management, like memorials to the throne with suggestions for better management methods, and inscriptions of stone steles, poems and rhapsodies. It is an important source for the early centuries of the Grand Canal.