Modernization Process In Hangzhou And Ningbo Urban Construction In Modern Times And Comparative Study(1840～1937)

Hangzhou and Ningbo belong to the edge cities in modern China. Although the modernization process of their urban construction obviously lags behind that in Shanghai, Tianjin and other mainstream cities in modern times, as the regions where their city modernization process opens up relatively earlier in Zhejiang Province, which has a certain typicality and representativeness in this province, and these two cities reflect another side in the process of urban modernization in modern China. This dissertation takes Hangzhou and Ningbo (from 1840 to 1937) as its research object, analyzing their influence factors, urban construction management system, city construction and the architectural activities.Based on the survey and correlated historical data analyses, the dissertation defines the period prior to 1927 as the early stage of development for Hangzhou and Ningbo while the period after this year as their later development stage.This dissertation reviews the various factors affecting the development of urban construction and management system in the early Hangzhou and Ningbo (before 1927) and the developing venation of urban construction and architectural activities for modern Ningbo and Hangzhou in early times. The early modernization process of urban construction in Ningbo and Hangzhou in modern times is marked by "difference" (distinction), and this "difference" embodies in the "active first, passive later" in Ningbo and "passive first, active later" in Hangzhou. Ningbo opened its port early in modern times and the modernization process of the urban construction was accompanied by the western colonists’ invasion and the settlement of outsiders, and its modernization was started passively. Therefore, it’s "active first, passive later". Hangzhou opened its port relatively late, so its process of modernization starts relatively late, which is led by the Chinese government. It is the result of actively learning from the concept of the western modern urban development, so it is "passive later" and "active first". In the 1920s, Hangzhou gradually surpassed Ningbo.The dissertation reviews the overall framework of the urban construction management system in Hangzhou and Ningbo after 1927 and carries out researches on the systems of urban construction administration at Zhejiang provincial level as well as Hangzhou and Ningbo municipal levels, including the establishment of modern urban construction management institutions, the promulgation of modern urban construction management regulations and the formation of modern engineering project construction procedures. In addition, the developing venation of urban construction and architectural activities in later modern times in Ningbo and Hangzhou has been reviewed. The "difference" (distinction) and the "sameness" (similarity) during the process of urban construction modernization in Ningbo and Hangzhou co-exist. The "sameness" refers to the fact that Ningbo and Hangzhou have a relatively unified administrative system and urban construction management system frame in the later modern times, and at the same time, there are also various of similar influence factors. The "difference" refers to the fact that Hangzhou has been surpassing Ningbo in the process of urban construction from the 1920s to the 1930s.The dissertation also makes a comparison study on the city construction management system in Ningbo in early and late modern period, as well as in Hangzhou, and then conclusions are drawn as follows:1. The city construction management system in Ningbo and Hangzhou in the early modern times is the result of modeling the modern urban construction management system in mainstream cities 2. The city construction management system in Ningbo and Hangzhou in the late modern times is the result of modeling the system in the mainstream cities like Nanjing and Shanghai, but the degree of development falls behind that of Nanjing and Shanghai within the same period.3. Hangzhou’s urban construction management system in modern times is much closer to that of Shanghai; Ningbo’s urban construction management system is far behind that of Shanghai and Hangzhou, leading to a larger difference from Hangzhou.