The Research On The Changes Of Social Customs In Linqing Area Caused By The Jing-Hang Canal During The Ming And Qing Dynasties

During the period of Ming and Qing dynasties, the Jing-Hang Grand Canal headed from the north Jianghuai area, going through western Shandong Plain passing from Linqing to Dezhou, and then flowed into Hebei area, ran through proximately one kilometers in western Shandong province. It was this Grand Canal that made Linqing area to be an importantly commercial city of importance that owned an economic prosperity to be named as "Small Tianjin". Moreover, this transportation channel was not just an essential waterline for interchanging resources between south and north, but also a significant channel for exchanging of information and culture across the nation. Therefore, the adjustments of transportation geography not only improved enriched the living standards of people in Linqing area, but also caused the changes of social customs:Many new appearances and characteristics arisen in eating customs, festival folk customs, wedding and funeral customs. What’s more, obvious impact and customs merging from southern area can be clearly traced. The customs and cultural concepts of the simple and honorable common social practice, etiquette and farming were influenced by the developed commodity economy of cities and towns, resources from south and north, culture and multitudes, which led to a social custom of advocating business, chasing profit, pursuing luxury, arrogating, and caused more divergences in the internal community of Linqing area.