Regional Advantage And Self-Strengthening

Shanghai Port and Ningbo Port are the two most important ports in the port system of the Yangtze Delta .In Song ,Yuan ,Ming and Qing dynasites ,Ningbo Port played a core role in the port system of the Yangtze Delta ,while Shanghai Port grew up to dominate in mid-Qing dynasty .The two ports ware opened to world almost at the same time in the early modern China ,and Shanghai Port developed rapidly while Ningbo Port gradually became its feeder port .Then what did the space relations turn into between the ports ,and what is the reason for this evolution?These are the two issues the thesis hopes to solve.First of all, the thesis carries on an investigation of the space relations between the two ports in three aspects. First, from the long segment of history, the primate port of the Yangtze Delta transferred from the wings(Yangzhou in Tang dynasty and Ningbo in Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties) to the centre(Shanghai), so the "one main port(Shanghai Port) with two feeder ports(Ningbo Port and Zhenjiang Port)" pattern was formed in the modern China. Second, from the development of the two ports, the European traders were in the active pursuit of trade with Ningbo Port, which played an important role in the system of tributary trade before 1840, so its development was extroverted. At that time the domestic trade was mainly done in Shanghai Port, so its development was introverted. After 1840, Shanghai Port grew into an international port along with the variety of trade network. The import and export of Ningbo Port were transferred through Shanghai Port, so Ningbo Port changed to be introverted. Third, from a division of ports' function, Shanghai Port developed into one of the vital point ports in the Far East, while Ningbo Port became the feeder port of Shanghai Port.After that, the thesis carries on the reason analysis in four aspects: natural condition, the hinterland-foreland, port-centered cluster and institution. Different from the past research, which might emphasize on the regional advantage or the difference of history, economy and institution, the thesis tries to analyze the reasons for the evolution of the two ports' space relations by "regional advantage and self-strengthening". Due to regional advantage, Shanghai Port had a higher starting point, which gradually formed the pattern of "port-centered cluster". Although meeting various difficulties, especially the slit of channel, which was fatal to the developments of Shanghai Port. As soon as "port-centered cluster" formed, it would produce gathering effect, then came to build up a mechanism of self-strengthening. The dredges of channel, the build of railway and the innovation of foreign concessions and port management institution were the vivid examples of self-strengthening. At this time, the regional condition had been no longer so important compared with this cluster effect. So many benefits of business and industry had been gathered in Shanghai, and this kind of advantage made Shanghai Port developed continuously with the effect of "self-strengthening", only slightly slowed down by the war.Ningbo Port opened at the same time with Shanghai Port in the modern age, also having a longer history. But due to the shortage of regional advantage, a great deal of resources were concentrated to Shanghai Port, and a lack of self-strengthening ability led to the slow growth of Ningbo Port, which finally turned to be the feeder port of Shanghai Port.