Tell Us About Yourself
I’m Qianyi Cao, with a background in Geographic Information Science and currently part of the Erasmus Mundus MSc in Cartography program across TU Munich, TU Vienna, and TU Dresden. My academic path blends map design, geospatial science, and cross-cultural storytelling. I’m passionate about using cartography as a bridge — one that connects environmental data, historical narratives, and human experience.
To me, maps are more than technical products; they’re emotional, cultural, and philosophical expressions of how we understand the world — and time.
Tell Us the Story Behind Your Map
The idea began with a question: How do cultures map time, not just space?
The 24 solar terms — a traditional timekeeping system used for millennia across East Asia — offered a profound answer. These terms synchronize human life with solar movement, seasonal rhythms, and agricultural practice. I wanted to translate this system into a visual narrative that merges planetary dynamics with cultural heritage.
I started with just four key solar terms (the equinoxes and solstices), but quickly realized the system’s true beauty lies in its full cyclical structure. So I expanded the design to include all 24 solar terms, added moon phase diagrams, custom-designed seasonal icons, and supporting text to reflect their deeper meanings.
There were many learning curves: I was new to Adobe Illustrator, had no clear cartographic precedents, and had to self-learn orbital mechanics and visual layout from scratch. But I pushed through — sketching on my iPad, sourcing reference scrolls, refining the layout week by week. What kept me going was the belief that maps can honor tradition while innovating in form.
This project taught me that mapping time requires rethinking linearity, embracing circularity, and balancing emotion with information.
Tell Us About the Tools and Data you used:
The map was created using a combination of:
- Adobe Illustrator – for layout, iconography, and composition
- QGIS and Python – for solar angle calculations and spatial orientation
- Astronomical data – including solar ephemerides and moon phases from NASA and the Purple Mountain Observatory (CAS)
- Cultural sources – drawn from classical Chinese calendars and agricultural guides, especially for the semantics of each solar term
Visually, I was inspired by the elegance of East Asian calendar scrolls. I experimented with radial symmetry to emphasize the cyclical nature of time, and designed 24 icons to represent each solar term in a cohesive visual style. Layout and legend elements were iteratively refined for clarity and balance.
Throughout the process, I was committed to creating something that respects cultural heritage while offering a contemporary, accessible form. It wasn’t easy — especially while juggling a demanding academic schedule — but this map changed the way I think about cartography, and deepened my love for the discipline.