| Hongjiang, the ancient commercial city, is located in Xuefeng Mountain in the western part of Hunan province, where Yuan River and Wu River joint together. To its southwest, four tributaries, Qingshui River, Wu River, Qu River and Wu River, run into Yuan River which connects with Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. Wood, bamboo, tung oil, and other native products in Western Hunan and southwestern areas are shipped to Hongjiang for sale by kayak. After being processed, these products will be shipped along Yuan River, going through Changde and Dongting; then reach Hankow, where they will be resold to coastal areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Salt, cotton, cloth, and other general merchandise are shipped back from the ports of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and coastal areas; these products are resold to western Hunan and southwest counties of Guizhou province. In the traditional society of China, water transport was the main mode of transport in the South. The convenient water transport conditions made Hongjiang become the strategic passage for the eastern and central regions connecting southwest China. Early in the Ming Dynasty, Hongjiang became the nascent materials market; during the anti-Japanese war, a large number of refugees flood to Hongjiang, making it the rear area of the war and the political, economic and cultural center of western Hunan. Hence, the population then increased to more than ten million, and even more than twenty million plus a floating population. Hongjiang entered a period of great prosperity, possessing the good reputation of "Little Nanjing","Little Shanghai","Little Chongqing","Thoroughfare of five provinces","Pearl of western Hunan "and "Metropolis of southwestern China". In the recent times, the ancient commercial city has undergone a significant change in the political, economic, and cultural aspects as a result of the infiltration of Western aggression forces, continuous social change and revolutionary movement, the promotion of insightful people, and the open and inclusive business culture of Hongjiang’s tradition. But due to the obstruction of the feudal forces, political corruption and social unrest, Hongjiang neither failed to complete the transition to modern society, nor obtained the driving force for sustainable development. With the advent of modern transport, Hongjiang gradually lost its regional advantages, and its prosperity also slipped away as the heavy door of the shop was closed.This paper first discusses formation conditions and historical evolution of the ancient commercial city. Its formation conditions include both natural conditions such as location advantages, and Humanities and social conditions like national integration and historical opportunities. Secondly, this paper discusses the economic position of Hongjiang in the recent times. It was bridge for the trade between the eastern and southwestern regions, and the important commercial city in western Hunan and southwestern China; besides, it also played the role of modern industrial and financial remittance center in western Hunan; in addition, traditional handicrafts and banks industry there were developed and prosperous; Thirdly, this paper explains socio-economic change of the ancient commercial city from the four aspects of politic, economy, culture, and social life. Finally, this paper explores the decline of the ancient commercial city and the main factors for its decline; these factors include political darkness, social unrest, the emergence of the modern traffic, the lack of industrial base, and the obstacles of decadent and backward culture. In the end of this paper, it draws a reflection of the changes and the decline of the ancient commercial city; the lessons learned are as following:first, to gain the impetus of sustainable development for a commercial city, developed industry is needed to be the material foundation instead of the sole dependence on the natural geographical advantages; Second, the development of a commercial city calls for the support of openness and inclusion, pioneering spirit and the spirit of innovation. Third, the commercial development requires a stable and liberal social and political environment; Fourth, for the sustained development of commerce, we should make great effort to develop the economy, narrow down the income gap, and improve the purchasing power of the society as a whole. Fifth, Huaihua should accelerate its development by taking advantage of the transferred geographical advantage of the ancient commercial city. |
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