An Evolutionary Study Of The Central City In HuaiQing Prefecture Of Henan Province (1368-1949)

During the dynasties of Ming and Qing, Huaiqing prefecture had formed, under the administration of the traditional political and economic system, a structural model of urban spatial pattern, that is a 3-grade town system, "prefectural city-county-town" pyramid-style with Huaiqing prefecture (Nowadays, Qinyang city, Henan province) the centre, county the second class centre and town the third class centre. Moreover, Huaiqing prefecture city is in the central position of this pattern. Qinyang is a major city in Huaiqing prefecture of Henan province with a long history.However, at the end of Qing dynasty, with the development of commodity economy within the Huaiqing prefecture and local economy in its cities and towns, newly-built cities and towns was increasingly impacted the original pattern, thus making economy-orientation cities in this area transferring continually. Jiaozuo is a village, the change happened in the late 19th century, with the development of coal resources exploitation, a growing number of people choose to work and settle in Jiaozuo. So the villages grew into cities.The central city(Nowadays, Qinyang city, Henan province) importance as a economic center has evolved slowly.Jiaozuo city, based on its resource-coal and adapting to requirements of economic development, has immersed into market net of Henan province even the whole country. Its rapid rising and development made itself the economic centre of Huaiqing prefecture and replaced gradually the role of Huaiqing prefecture (Nowadays, Qinyang city, Henan province).During this period of change, it is illustrated that economic towns in local area is rising and developing, which has impacts on local administrative distract planning, and transfers the center city, in a variety of aspects such as politics, economy and culture, from Qinyang to Jiaozuo. The rising of Jiaozuo city has great effects on and changes the original urban spatial pattern, which is rooted in the development and expanding of newly-built towns.In the historic view, this development is characterized by the rising of local towns in a large number, rising of Jiaozuo city, and fading of Qinyang city, the centre of the original urban spatial pattern. The modern new economic centre is gradually developing and forming in this area, and part of developed towns merges into this town pattern with economic centre Jiaozuo city, laying solid historic foundation for forming the towns pattern within Jiaozuo area. This forming of change is inseparable with the transfer of nature, economy, society and history in this area.