From The Edge To The Center: Since The Late Qing The Shanghai Pingtan Study

As a folk storytelling in Suzhou of China, Pingtan in the Jiangnan region of China has a long history. It has a special close relationship with the social life of Jiangnan region since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and participates in various aspects of social life. Past researchers tend to study Pingtan from the perspective of literary history or folk art history, but lack of the study of history.Under the analytical framework of history, and learning from German urban geographer W.Christaller's "Central Place Theory", this paper discusses the historical development of Pingtan in Shanghai since the late Qing Dynasty. From the actual needs of the cultural and social studies, this paper attempts to transform the concept of "center place" into the concept of "central market" of Pingtan. By this concept, this paper attempts to research the interaction among the center market, Pingtan, and social change.In the history of the spread and development of Pingtan, there is always a "central market". Before the mid-19th century, the spread of Pingtan is based on the form of Suzhou as the central market. Pingtan spreads from Suzhou to the level center of city, such as Wuxi, Changshu, Kunshan, then next to the majority of the towns, villages of the Jiangnan region. Before the mid-19th century, Suzhou is the highest level of the central market of Pingtan.The central market of Pingtan is composed of the elements such as story houses, scripts, actors, audiences, and so on. The symbol of the central market shifted to Shanghai is the quality and quantity of these elements in Shanghai are all beyond in Suzhou. This is the result of social change. Because after the mid-19th century, the economic and social center of Jiangnan region had transfered from Suzhou to Shanghai. Between the1920s to1940s, with the new Shanghai city central market was established, the connotation of Pingtan had rich and profound change. At the same time Pingtan had caused a profound impact to society and culture of Shanghai. The central market was clearly throughout the historical development process of the prosperity of Pingtan. The strength of the central market of Pingtan determined the height and achievements of the historical development of Pingtan. The higher the rank of the central market of Pingtan, the greater of the scope of the radiation and influence of Pingtan. And vice versa.