1 ▁BC ). ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁Yu ▁G ong ▁or ▁T ribute ▁of ▁Yu ▁chapter ▁of ▁the ▁Sh u ▁J ing ▁or ▁Book ▁of ▁Document s . ▁The ▁book ▁describes ▁the ▁traditional ▁nine ▁provinces , ▁their ▁kinds ▁of ▁soil , ▁their ▁characteristic ▁products ▁and ▁economic ▁goods , ▁their ▁trib ut ary ▁goods , ▁their ▁tr ades ▁and ▁voc ations , ▁their ▁state ▁reven ues ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁systems , ▁and ▁the ▁various ▁rivers ▁and ▁la kes ▁listed ▁and ▁placed ▁accordingly . ▁The ▁nine ▁provinces ▁in ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁this ▁ge ographical ▁work ▁were ▁very ▁small ▁in ▁size ▁compared ▁to ▁their ▁modern ▁Chinese ▁counter parts . ▁The ▁Yu ▁G ong ' s ▁descri ptions ▁per tain ▁to ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Y ellow ▁River , ▁the ▁lower ▁valle ys ▁of ▁the ▁Yang zi , ▁with ▁the ▁plain ▁between ▁them ▁and ▁the ▁Sh and ong ▁Pen ins ula , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁the ▁most ▁northern ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Wei ▁River ▁and ▁the ▁Han ▁River ▁were ▁known ▁( al ong ▁with ▁the ▁southern ▁parts ▁of ▁modern - day ▁Sh an xi ▁province ). ▁ ▁Ear liest ▁known ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁map ▁( <0xE5> <0x9C> <0x96> ▁t ú ) ▁The ▁oldest ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁map ▁in ▁China ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁BC . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁ 2 2 7 ▁BC ▁where ▁Crown ▁Prince ▁Dan ▁of ▁Yan ▁had ▁his ▁assass in ▁J ing ▁Ke ▁visit ▁the ▁court ▁of ▁the ▁r uler ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Q in , ▁who ▁would ▁become ▁the