A survey on the evolution of the Chinese cadastral system

Abstract. Cadastral system plays a pivotal role in land administration, which has attracted notable attention from researchers and policy-makers worldwide. Despite China being the most populous country throughout the world, its cadastral system is rarely studied. This paper conducts a comprehensive survey on the evolution of the Chinese cadastral system by elaborating the historical and contemporary Chinese cadastre. Specifically, contemporary Chinese cadastre is articulated from the aspects including content and purpose, legal basis, organization, and technical approaches, and compared with Swiss and Hong Kong cadastre. It is concluded that the Chinese cadastre evolved in a different way from that of the western countries due to China’s unique historical and economic background. This study sheds light on systematically understanding the development of the Chinese cadastre and further refining contemporary Chinese cadastral system.