In total, in 1900, there were about 500 western and Japanese nationals residing in the quarter. Ethnic Chinese, most of whom were Christian converts, also owned businesses and homes scattered throughout the district.
In all, there were 11 legations located in the quarter: England, France, United States, Japan, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. By 1900, the Legation Quarter was practically a miniature city, as this map shows, containing the legations, foreign and Chinese businesses, churches, schools, theaters, medical facilities, and more. The Beijing Legation Quarter, located just southeast of the Forbidden City, was approximately 2 mi (3.2 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide.
Following the Opium Wars (1856 - 1860) the Qing government established the Legation Quarter to house foreign dignitaries and businesses. Beijing Legation QuarterThe Beijing Legation Quarter was the symbolic focal point of foreign influence in China. Due to the meticulousness and accuracy in illustrating daily progression of the battle, Ferguson's map is today the basis for all subsequent maps of the Legation Quarter's defense. Produced in cyanotype (blueprint) with Ferguson's own manuscript annotations, this map was issued in miniscule quantities intended only for distribution among military and civilian officials in Beijing – there are only three surviving examples known. The map was prepared by the American military engineer Harley Bascom 'Fergie' Ferguson, who was sent to Beijing in 1900 as part of the China Relief Expedition, a multinational emergency force mustered to liberate the besieged legations and suppress the Boxer Rebellion. This is the first, largest, and best official map Beijing's Legation Quarter (Dong Jiaomin Xiang / 東交民巷) to illustrate the events of the Boxer Rebellion (1899 - 1901) and the siege of the Foreign Legations. Minnesota - North Dakota - South DakotaĪ rarity of the utmost historical importance produced in Beijing in the aftermath of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion (Yihetuan Movement, 義和團運動).Massachusetts - Connecticut - Rhode Island.