Weihai: Colonial Modernity In The Failure Of Misfortune? Fu Xi?

Weihai---a coastal city in the northeast of Shandong Province in China, being the eastern gateway of the empire, originated as a coastal defensive basin in the ancient time, is surrounded by the sea from three different directions and one back to the mountain. This natural advantage makes the port connect to the hinterland, which facilitates the supply of the navy; meanwhile, being close to the Bohai Bay, it takes the Liugong Island as a base for patrolling the Bohai Sea and inspecting the East China Sea which is far away from the land. Being both offensive and defensive, the military factors dominate the other functions within the city. Therefore, it was until modern times that Weihai could have a rapid development.It is also because of its important military capability as a coastal defensive basin, making the historical Weihai the first place to be attacked once there was a war. The town had always suffered a devastating blow. Meanwhile, the important geographical position of the mainland gateway had exacerbated this situation, which is also one of the most important reasons of why Weihai hadn't successfully developed.Modern Weihai had suffered the foreign aggression and control for many times. As in the late 19th century, after Sino-Japanese naval battle in the year of Jiawu, it was ruled by Japan for about 3 years, then, Weihai Acropolis was compelled to become the rental place for about 32 years by the UK, and the Liugong Island was lengthened for 42 years.At that time, suffered by the war, the overall development of Weihai was very unstable, and only in the tenancy period of the UK, during the 30 years or so, it was able to have a stable environment for its own growth, colonial modernity, as an objective factor, had brought little in promoting the transformation of modern Weihai. However, the development under the colonial forces, after all, didn't derive from the city's own needs, so strategies like its purpose, stability and focuses of the development and so on, are all with a strong colonial color. And this kind of development was based on the interests of the suzerain which was developed in a passive-driven mode. Lack of its own rapid development which was out of its own intention, it to a large extent depended on the development of foreign forces, which made its limitations and instability obvious.During the British colonial rule in Weihai, although the colonial side hoped to turn Weihai into a business center like Hong Kong, for the limitations and other factors, this dream finally fell. Due to the changes in colonial policy, the modern development of Weihai had also suffered a great impact. Once again, the city function as a naval port was highlighted, and the difference is that under British rule, Weihai had paid more attention to transform the city as a military health resort. The related rationings and supply-demand industries also had a good development.Based on the theories of the dynamic of urban development and modernity, this thesis is an attempt to start from the colonial rule of British in historical Weihai, analyses why the modernity which was brought by British colonial forces failed to work out in Weihai, make an exploration of the successful self-transformation procession of the modernization in Weihai Acropolis, and then study the effect of momentum within the city upon urban development. Finally, it will provide some suggestions for the future development of Weihai from the development of the city itself.