The Qing dynasty emphasised the coordination of relationships among various ethnic minorities on the frontiers, laying the foundation for the development of frontier geography. The expansion of the mining and handicraft industries gave a fresh impetus to mineralogy and petrology. Across the country, the implementation of water conservancy projects also inspired historians to write about water resources and hydrological systems. Influenced by cultural policies, intellectuals turned to textual research and criticism, producing a number of representative works of literature on the interpretation of ancient geographical documents. In terms of local chronicles, the Qing court highly valued the compilation of this geographical genre, leading to a new peak in their development. Evidently, the introduction and absorption of Western geographical knowledge had a profound impact on traditional Chinese surveying and cartography. Modern geography and geology were also introduced to China, injecting new vitality into the diversified development of geography during the Qing dynasty.