Tang Dynasty Chang'an Cities Study

Chang'an in Tang Dynasty was an elaborately designed city, which was built as an ideal city. The markets in Chang'an revealed the traditional and standard ideas in establishment and management. The east and west markets in Chang'an were the typical representatives of the market system in Tang Dynasty and also undertook the function of the center of the district economy. The workshop and market system was at the peak of development in Tang Dynasty and gradually weakened in a later period in Tang Dynasty. There are many discussions on the two markets of Chang'an in the historical academic circle and accumulated a lot of excellent achievements. The paper first combs the establishment and management system of the two markets in Chang'an, and then compares the differences of commercial function between the two markets in the course of their development. The paper also analyzes the reasons of evolvement from the system vicissitude. Finally the paper tries to investigate the economic connection between Chang'an market and Guanzhong district in order to get a more complete, systematic and deep understanding of the two markets of Chang'an.The paper is composed of five parts:The first part is introduction. It introduces the meaning of the selected topic and shows us the predecessors' research outline, research content, method and the innovation as well as the main problems to research.The second part is the summary of the market systems in Tang Dynasty. I will explain it from the setup of the market and the management of the system. First, as for the establishment of the market, from several views of New Institutional Economics on the relation between country and market, it is obvious that country, as a market system erector, should not only meet the demand of policy, but also follow the economic law. Hence, although the market had its own developing law, in the ancient time, country acted a significant rule in market establishment and management. In this foundation of understanding, this part will elaborate the space distribution, the inner construction and the numbers of the market in Tang Dynasty. The layout of the two markets of Chang'an in space is not on the traditional, they all at the south of the Imperial city side by side,which is the important road. This place is not only easily the transport of east and west, but slso is a moderate distance from south to north of the city. The surface area of the east and west markets are each to the two workshops', which are east-west symmetry , and they have the same basic internal structure. In addition to, there are other market in the city, but only this two markets have been prosperous. Furthermore, it clarifies the specific regulation system from three aspects: administration order management, trade order management and the levy of the business tax. The Tang Dynasty market regulation system was perfect. There was a strict stipulation on the trade hours, and market officials also must comply with the relexant provisions, they must not interfere with the market law. Besides, it is some strict stipulation in the shop layout as well as guaranteed that the market healthy movement and the fair transaction. For example, it is differert types on the classification of shop, according to the selling goods; the government will be inspected regulations on the measures, product quality and price. There are regulations related to punishment for illegal acts. Thus, it has provided the essential condition for Chang'an prosperous commerce.The third part is the comparison between the two markets from crosswise and longitude. The crosswise comparison is the different development of the two markets. Because of the same design idea initially, there was no too much differences. However, because the specific condition was different, there were some changes in the course of development with the change of the environment and the population. This was mainly reflected in the different commercial functions. At that time, the west market gathered around the majority people came from the Western Rhgions called "'huren", and more and more business man came into here in order to the special social environment. Thus, this place has created a very popular market atmosphere. However, around the east market, officials' house and some officials came from the orther city and people who wants to jion the election, most of them are move about around the east market. It seems that the east market atmosphere with a few "official" taste. The longitudinal comparison looked over the Chang'an market evolution, this sealed market pattern disintegrated in mid and late period of Tang Dynasty with the increase of the rule numbers, the increase of the commercial places outside the market and in the work shop, the formation of the night market and the village market in the peripheral locality. The boundary between the work shops was blurred and the mixing zone formed gradually. After the comparison, we can summarize the evolution reasons as a kind of evolution-like system vicissitude process from economic system,it is a result of fighting of natural evolution and man-made design.The fourth part is about the economy connection between two markets of and Guanzhong district. The prosperity of the Chang'an two markets relied on the good ecological environment, the rich commodity, as well as extended transportations in all directions in Guanzhong. A wide range of products, extensive planting of cash crop, the irrigation water, which is display that the developed of agriculture of Guanzhong, and it brought about the development of handicraft industry. Above of all, provided a wealth of material support. Coupled with the better condtion of transport, Guanzhong not only gave Chang'an the market to provide the solid goods and materials channel, but also provided the broad expense environment. At the same time, as the economic window of Chang'an, two markets as an important role between this two palce. Two markets' prosperous increased the inexhaustible vigor of Chang'an, and speeded up the economic development of Guanzhong.The fifth part is a conclusion. This part summarizes the whole paper and obviously shows us the gist. It combs the two markets' systems of Chang'an in Tang Dynasty, discusses their evolution and the reasons, and explains the economical connections between Chang'an market and Guanzhong area.