Dianchi Lake, The Southern Edge Of Rural Settlements In The Ming And Qing Dynasties Relationship With The People And Land

Based on the research of settlement geograghy and settlement environmental history, This article tries to rebuild the historical spatial distribution pattern and the morphological structure of the rural settlements in southern Dianchi area during the period of 14th to 20th centrury. The textual research of the local gazettes from the Ming dynasty up to now, supplemented by on-the-spot investigation, is the main method. Next comes the analysis of the development history of the typical settlements under different landforms. According to of the research on rural settlements' historical process in three types of landforms in this area and the investigation of the historical land usage status of rural settlements in the lake basin regions of Yunnan Plateau, where the population relatively is concentreated. This thesis reveals the man-land relationship in lake basin regions on the plateau.The comprehensive evaluation has shown that the late Ming and early Qing dynasties have witnessed the beginning of the profound changes in environment and its man-land relationship in Dianchi area. Since Ming and Qing dynasties, the historical development process of the settlements in lower lacustrine delta plain, where the population and settlements relatively is concentreated, was embodied with the mutual interaction between human activities and its water environment. In contrast, the settlement history in the river vallays was shown a three-dimensional interaction between human activities, water environment and their surrounding mountains. The studies on the upland settlements could reflect the man-land relationship of the Dianchi catchment by side.