清康熙三十六年(西元1697年),郁永河從福建渡海來臺,抵達臺灣府城(今臺南市)後北上到今日臺北北投一帶採集硫磺。之後他將此行所見所聞著成《裨海紀遊》一書,詳述當時臺灣的風土人情與地理景觀,在清初臺灣歷史研究上具有珍貴價值。郁永河在臺旅途所經地點,亦是書中值得研究之處。本研究嘗試重現《裨海紀遊》中郁永河在臺旅行足跡,整理書中所提及的時間、地名、地理敘述等資料,參照前人的相關研究,尋找郁永河在臺灣旅行時所經地點的今日地名。為了進一步呈現郁永河旅行的空間資訊,利用GIS方法,在GIS軟體上套用《臺灣堡圖》等數位化地圖,定位郁永河旅臺所經地點與繪出旅行路線。並結合3D衛星影像,由中央研究院人社中心地理資訊科學研究專題中心與中央大學太空遙測中心合作出版衛星影像月曆,以及利用動態地圖等方法呈現郁永河旅臺路線。藉由歷史GIS的研究與應用方法,讓三百年前的郁永河旅臺事蹟更輕易呈現在大眾眼前。
Yu Yonghe crossed the ocean from Fujien to Taiwan, arriving in present day Tainan in the year 1697. He travelled north to Beitou, Taipei for sulfur mining. After his travels, he compiled his journals and published them as a book, Small Sea Travel Diaries. The book presents detailed accounts of the culture and geographic sceneries of the localities. His journals have become an invaluable source of reference for studies concerning Taiwan history in the early Qing period.This study attempted to recreate the trails of Yu Yonghe as recounted in Small Sea Travel Diaries. Time, names of places, and geographical descriptions are taken into account and along with relevant precedent researches, their corresponding present day locations are found. In order to lucidly portray the spatial aspects of Yu Yonghe's travels, GIS methodology is applied, i.e. GIS software is used to overlay Taiwan Baotu and other digitized maps. The GIS Center, Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Academia Sinica, in collaboration with the Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research, National Central University, created and published a calendar using satellite images of Yu Yonghe's travels after georeferencing the places along Yu Yonghe's travel route, mapping the route, and combining with 3D satellite images. A comprehensive portrayal of Yu Yonghe's travels in Taiwan is thus created.