Large-Scale Sports Venues in Modern China as Depicted in US Military 1∶250,000 Topographic Maps

A set of 1∶250,000-scale Chinese military topographic maps produced by the US Army Map Service in the 1950s, along with their accompanying urban maps, reveals the presence of dedicated large-scale sports venues in numerous cities—a distinct human geographical phenomenon uncommon in traditional Chinese urban settings. Based on the map contents, relevant literature, and prior research, this study examines 34 large-scale sports venues across 33 urban maps, analyzing their types, scales, functional characteristics, and spatial interactions with their host cities. The venues primarily include racecourses, stadiums, sports fields, gymnasiums, golf courses, shooting ranges, and dog racing tracks, among others. These sites were notably expansive, with the largest covering an area of 400,000 m². While some were designated for specialized sports activities, many served multifunctional purposes in practice. The maps indicate that these large-scale sports venues were predominantly located in China’s eastern coastal regions, with their spatial relationship to the cities evolving from suburban areas in the modern era to bustling urban centers today. Some venues have been renamed as “People’s Square”, “May First Square”, or “Zhongshan Square”, reflecting modern urban cultural identity and influencing the development of contemporary urban morphology.