Baidu Maps

Baidu Maps (百度地图)

Screenshot of the Sim City-like style that Baidu Maps offers for the city of Shanghai, China.
Type of site	Web mapping
Available in	Chinese
Owner	Baidu
Website	Baidu Maps
Commercial	Yes
Launched	2005
Current status	Active

Baidu Maps is a desktop and mobile web mapping service application and technology provided by Baidu, offering satellite imagery, street maps, street view ("Panorama" - zh:百度全景) and indoor view^[1] perspectives, as well as functions such as a route planner for traveling by foot, car, or with public transportation. Android and iOS applications are available.

Baidu Maps is available only in the Chinese language and before 2016, it offered maps only of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, the rest of the world appearing unexplored.^[2] Currently Baidu Maps also offers maps of various other countries.^[3] It's reported that more than 150 countries will be supported by the end of 2016.^[4] Baidu uses map data supplied by NavInfo, MapKing, Here, LocalKing and OpenStreetMap.^[5]

Countries and territories supported

• Mainland China
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Singapore
• Japan
• South Korea
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Philippines
• Brunei
• Vietnam
• Indonesia
• Sri Lanka
• India
• Australia
• New Zealand
• France
• Brazil

History

• September 2005 - Baidu Maps is released
• 2010 - Baidu adds a unique 3D highly detailed view for select cities, very similar to the computer game SimCity.^[6] The images are licensed from digital mapping service Edushi.^[7] Cities being currently covered include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
• November 2011 - Baidu launches satellite imagery with much better resolution for the Greater China region than Google Maps^[8] City-level only includes Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macao and other major cities.
• September 3, 2012 - at its annual Baidu World event, Baidu reveals 360-degree digital imagery for select buildings^[7]

Coordinate system

Screenshot of Baidu Map with WGS-84, GCJ-02 and BD-09 markers

Baidu Map uses the Mercator projection, with latitude and longitude expressed in degrees, and distances in meters. However, it uses the BD-09 coordinate system, which adds further obfuscation to the already obfuscated national standard in China, GCJ-02^[9] (which in turn is offset from the de facto standard around the world, WGS-84).

The Baidu Map API documentation specifies that real GPS coordinates must be converted via a coordinate conversion interface.^[10] An HTTP interface, JavaScript API, Android SDK, and iOS SDK are available.

The JavaScript coordinate conversion API is demonstrated online by Baidu, but without any reverse (to GCJ-02) conversion capabilities.^[11] Open source implementations in R ^[12] and various other languages^[13] exist, implemented in a manner much like the reverse GCJ-02 algorithm.

Street view service

The street view service of Baidu Maps was first launched on August 21, 2013.^[14] This is a list of cities supported as of March 11, 2015:

Provincial level division	City
Beijing	Beijing
Shanghai	Shanghai
Tianjin	Tianjin
Chongqing	Chongqing
Liaoning	Shenyang, Liaoyang, Dalian, Fushun, Panjin, Jinzhou, Chaoyang, Liaoning, Dandong, Yingkou
Jilin	Changchun, Jilin City, Tonghua, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Songyuan, Baicheng
Heilongjiang	Harbin, Daqing, Qiqihar, Mudanjiang, Jiamusi
Shanxi	Taiyuan, Jinzhong, Shuozhou, Xinzhou, Lüliang, Yangquan, Linfen, Changzhi, Yuncheng
Shandong	Jinan, Qingdao, Tai'an, Weifang, Rizhao, Weihai, Jining, Yantai, Dongying, Binzhou, Liaocheng
Anhui	Hefei, Wuhu, Huangshan City, Lu'an
Jiangsu	Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Yangzhou, Changzhou, Xuzhou, Lianyungang, Yancheng, Huai'an, Nantong, Zhenjiang, Suqian
Zhejiang	Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Ningbo, Huzhou, Shaoxing, Zhoushan, Lishui, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Quzhou
Hebei	Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Langfang, Qinhuangdao, Chengde, Tangshan, Zhangjiakou
Henan	Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Anyang, Xinxiang, Luoyang, Shangqiu, Xuchang, Pingdingshan, Zhoukou, Zhumadian, Xinyang, Jiaozuo
Hubei	Xiangyang, Jingmen, Jingzhou, Shiyan, Suizhou, Huangshi
Hunan	Changsha, Zhangjiajie, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
Jiangxi	Nanchang, Jiujiang, Jingdezhen, Ji'an, Shangrao
Fujian	Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Putian, Zhangzhou, Nanping
Guangdong	Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Qingyuan, Jiangmen, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Zhanjiang, Foshan, Shantou, Shanwei, Jieyang
Guangxi	Liuzhou, Guilin, Beihai, Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, Yulin, Guangxi, Guigang, Chongzuo, Baise
Hainan	Haikou, Sanya, Danzhou, Wenchang, Tunchang County, Qionghai, Wanning, Lingshui Li Autonomous County, Wuzhishan City, Dongfang, Hainan, Ding'an County, Chengmai County, Lingao County, Changjiang Li Autonomous County, Ledong Li Autonomous County, Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County, Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County
Inner Mongolia	Hohhot, Hulunbuir, Ordos City, Baotou, Hinggan League, Chifeng, Tongliao
Ningxia	Yinchuan, Wuzhong, Ningxia, Zhongwei
Gansu	Lanzhou, Jiuquan, Zhangye, Jiayuguan City, Qingyang, Pingliang, Tianshui, Wuwei, Gansu
Qinghai	Xining, Golmud, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Shaanxi	Xi'an, Yulin, Shaanxi, Baoji, Yan'an, Xianyang, Hanzhong
Yunnan	Kunming
Tibet Autonomous Region	Lhasa (prefecture-level city), Shigatse, Nagqu Prefecture, Lhoka (Shannan) Prefecture
Xinjiang	Aksu, Xinjiang, Kashgar, Turpan, Hotan Prefecture
Hong Kong	Hong Kong
Macau	Macau

References

1. "Indoor view of Chinese restaurant". Baidu Maps. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
2. "Why do Baidu and Tencent QQ Map(s) only show China, and blank for the rest of the world?". 5 April 2015.
3. "百度地图和支付宝抢在春节前登陆日本". 环球网. 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
4. "百度地图宣布国际化战略 年底覆盖150个国家". 百度. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
5. Lee, Mark (6 July 2012). "Apple Shares Google China Map Partner in Win for AutoNavi: Tech". Bloomberg.
6. "Baidu beats Google when it comes to mapping". 23 November 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
7. Millward, Steven (3 September 2012). "Baidu Maps Gets 8-Bit 3D Views, Makes Real Life Feel Like Sim City [UPDATED]". TechInAsia. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
8. Custer, Charlie (6 November 2011). "Baidu Maps Launches Satellite View". TechInAsia. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
9. "Frequently Asked Questions". developer.baidu.com/map (in Chinese). Baidu.
10. "Coordinate Conversion API". developer.baidu.com/map (in Chinese). Baidu.
11. "Conversion from GCJ-02 coordinates used by Google Maps in China to BD-09". Baidu Map JavaScript demos (in Chinese).
12. "A package for geocoding, reverse geocoding and coordinate transformations between WGS-84, GCJ-02 and BD-09 coordinate systems". 15 February 2014.
13. Lee, Googol. "Transform coordinates between Earth (WGS-84) and Mars in China (GCJ-02)".
14. "百度全景：真实世界 百度地图触手可及".

External links

• Baidu Maps
• Baidu Map API example plotting markers with WGS-84, GCJ-02 and BD-09 coordinates