ABSTRACT
Yanhai, because of its tendency to overflow, was also called Zhanghai. Shitang and Changsha, whose meanings and exact locations differ in different records, were generally referred to as the South China Sea Islands and considered the maritime boundary between China and other countries. It is thus indicated that the scope and boundaries of China's territory in the South China Sea were quite settled early in the Song and Yuan dynasties. In some records in the late Qing dynasty, Wanli Changsha was identified with Wanli Shitang, both referring to the Nansha Islands, which were considered the maritime boundary between China and other countries, that is to say, the southern boundary of China's South China Sea territory. During this period, Shitang and Changsha on the whole referred to the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha Islands within China's South China Sea territory, though the exact geographical scopes were slightly different.
