恆春縣舊名瑯嶠，屬鳳山縣，自康熙60年（1721）朱一貴事件平定後，瑯嶠地區形同「三不管地帶」，直至同治13年（1874）的牡丹社事爆發後，清廷為了確立其統治瑯嶠的正當性，迅速於光緒元年（1875）於瑯嶠「築城設官」成立恆春縣，隸屬臺灣府。光緒10年（1884）年爆發清法戰爭，光緒11年（1885）戰爭結束後，臺灣建省，恆春縣改隸臺南府。臺灣建省後，財政上不得再倚賴福建省，必須自行籌措財源，臺灣首任巡撫劉銘傳頒布施行臺灣首次全面清丈，藉此增加稅收，各縣廳都有繪製清丈圖冊，恆春縣亦不例外，留下一部《臺南府恆春縣清丈簡明總括圖冊》。光緒18年（1892）有增修臺灣通志之議，臺灣巡撫邵友濂飭開臺灣通志局，臺灣布政使唐景崧下令各廳縣州設立采訪分局，命各地方政府收集資料，恆春縣在此期間編成了《恆春縣志》。由於恆春縣轄境內，多受邊防外患及兇番之擾，因此《恆春縣志》中特重此事；而《恆春縣志》中有新、舊全圖與各分里圖共15幅地圖，亦為其重要之特點。《恆春縣志》的地圖以《臺南府恆春縣清丈簡明總括圖冊》為基礎增繪而成，是唯一將各里單獨成圖，同時也是唯一使用清丈地圖當作各里底圖的清修臺灣方志地圖。恆春設縣於臺灣發生國際危機之時，並以實際的行政區設置確認主權，亦伴隨臺灣的首度清丈，使方志編纂時擷取清丈圖冊的恆春部分當做底圖。雖然《恆春縣志》的地圖看似簡陋，但在地圖上保留了牡丹社事件及清丈之痕跡，實能反映時代的意義。

With its previous name as Lang Chiao, Hengchun County used to be affiliated under Feng Shan County, and after the suppression of Chu-yi-guan event in the 60th year of Emperor Kang Xi, Lang Chiao Area then had become "No Man's Land." It was only after the outbreak of Mudan Community event in 13rd year of Emperor Tongxi (1874) the royal court of Qing Dynasty then set up "build up castle and establish bureaucracy" at Lang Chiao as Hengchun County in the first year of Emperor Guanxu (1875) in order to confirm its legitimacy for governance, which was found under Taiwan Prefecture. When Sino-French occurred in the 10th year of Emperor Guanxu (1884), and ended in the 11st year (1885) of Emperor Guanxu, Taiwan was instituted as a province, and then Hengchun County was re-assigned as placed under the jurisdiction of Tainan Prefecture. Yet even after the institution of Taiwan as a province, it could no longer rely on Fujian Province for financial support and had to raise fund on its own. Therefore, it was why the first Governor of Taiwan, Liu Ming-chuan proclaimed the very first comprehensive settle tax on agricultural lands so as to increase tax revenue. As such, each office of the county is found with chart-register of settle tax on agricultural lands, and there is no exception with Hengchun County so that we can now find a volume of "Simplified Overall Chart-register of Hengchun County of Tainan Prefecture on Settle Taxes on Agricultural Lands." In the 18th year (1892) of Emperor Guanxu, it was suggested to further amend Taiwan Chronicle and the governor Taiwan, Shao You-lim decreed to set up Taiwan Comprehensive History Bureau, while administrative commissioner of Taiwan, Tang Jing-song, founded interview and collection branches under county and district of the office as he ordered local government to garner information. As such, "Hengchun County Chronicle" was then compiled during the period of time.Due to the fact the locality of Hengchun County had been much inflicted by foreign invaders as well as ferocious barbarians, it is why the issue was especially mentioned in "Hengchun County Chronicle." And within the chronicle, there are, in total, 15 complete new and old maps and also sub-neighborhood maps, being its important features. As a matter of act, the maps of "Hengchun County Chronicle" are produced based the "Simplified Overall Chart-register of Hengchun County of Tainan Prefecture on Settle Taxes on Agricultural Lands," and it is considered as the only one that had listed out each neighborhood and produced into independent maps. Also, the chronicle is also the Taiwan Chronicle edited during Qing Dynasty that used maps with settle tax on agricultural lands as the foundation for each neighborhood. Most of all, Hengchun County was instituted as county when international crisis occurred in Taiwan, and the royal court had resorted to the establishment of actual administrative district to conform its sovereignty. Alongside with the pioneering land reformation of Taiwan, when the chronicle was done during the process of editing and compiling it had exacted parts of Hengchun from chart-register of settle tax on agricultural lands as its foundation charts. Thus, thought the maps of "Hengchun County Chronicle" appear somewhat rough, it had retained the footprints of Mudan Community event and land reformation, genuinely reflecting the significance of the times.