Commercial Transportation In The North China And Its Economic Role During Ming And Qing Dynasty

Traffic, like artery of economic and social development, is an indispensable means of material and cultural exchanges among different regions, playing communication roles. Development of economy and flourishing of town are correlated with land and water traffic. Due to the need of transportation and goods trade, many new commercial towns emerged along land and water traffic, which once became the commerce and trade center, even cities of politics, economy and culture. In the history of China, North China played the political, economic and cultural center for a long time. In the meantime, its broad solid historical foundation and convenient location have a positive and profound impact on ancient Chinese politics, economy and social development. During Ming and Qing dynasty, North China formed land and water transport network and facilitated goods trade, which injected powerful vitality for North China and even the whole country and made great strides in the aspect of commodity economy.Judging from the current research situation at home and abroad, there are a lot of research on road traffic and commercial towns, however, very fewer people research commodity transportation in North China during Ming and Qing dynasty and its impact on the rise and fall of commercial towns and development of economy. The paper summarizes previous studies by means of historic research, comparative analysis, social analysis and other research methods, analyzes traffic network reappearance in North China during Ming and Qing dynasty and its influence on goods trade, specialization production areas and rise and fall of commercial towns, based on regional economic theory, integrated various theory including population geography, economic geography, urban geography, history and so on.During Ming and Qing dynasty, relatively stable social and political environment provides political guarantee for rapid development of commodity economy. A group dealing with long distance trade emerged for the development of commodity economy, which facilitated goods trade at home and abroad, and set higher requirements for transportation. Gradually, the area formed commercial transportation network with combination of Guanlu and track. The form of transportation network promotes the North-South exchanges and outside flow and eventually leads to the formation of specialization production base. Because of many businessman emergences along traffics, many restaurants and hotels were set up to facilitate their accommodations. In some better places, exchange places were established, which created conditions for goods trade between local people and around areas. Finally, commercial town with complete functions emerged.Because of the penetration of western economy and the introduction of new transportation means, economy during the Old China had changed greatly. Building of railway and development of shipping industry stimulated disintegration and reconstruction of traditional transportation network. However, traditional transportation routes and methods such as sailing, animal and packing were not completely abandoned, but built modern transportation network including railway, highway, shipping through integration. The establishment of modern transportation network affects the development of old commercial towns that tend to decline. Meanwhile, some new commercial towns with modern ambience emerge along the new traffic. The form of modern transportation network promotes not only commodity circulation and rural agricultural commercialization, but also the development of urban economy and the emergence of modern transportation hub cities, and plays a catalytic role in remodeling of regional economic layout to some degree.