Research On Lakes In Liangzhe Province Of Sung Dynasty

A number of lakes distributes widely in Liangzhe Province of Sung Dynasty, especially the Ningbo-Shaoxing Plain is the intensive area, and a large quantity of irrigation lakes gather here. With the increase of population density, Liangzhe Province has developed agricultural economy and significant waterway transportation status.Therefore the local demand of lakes increases gradually. Liangzhe Province is with various and fundamental kinds of lake resource which is effectively made fully use of in Sung Dynasty and it mainly incarnates the aspects of watering, planting, breeding, fishing and catching, shipping and drinking. The lakes of different geographical position and in different period which play diverse roles in the water resource utilizing. The Sung government takes a variety of measures in order to utilize the water resource in Liangzhe Province, for instance, the court administer lakes and constructs irrigation equipment, also, develops the planting and breeding, ensures the waterway transportation unimpeded, protects the lakes in case of drinking and brewing, furthermore, establishes free-life pond blessing for the Emperor, etc. The reasonable use of lakes solves the problems of food demand caused by the drought and flood so that the grain output of Liangzhe Province can be steady,the agricultural and sideline products can be abundant, the capacity of shipping can be improved and the government revenue can be guaranteed and those aspects reflect the significant status of the Liangzhe Province’s lake resource in national interest and people’s livelihood of Sung Dynasty. With the increasing contradiction between the human and land, the phenomenon of lake-invasion in Liangzhe Province is rising at the beginning of Sung Dynasty, including individual, government, temples, individual and government collusion, and troops. The degrees that the social groups encroach the lakes are different, but all of them have serious threat on the existence of the lakes of Liangzhe Province. That especially the government destroyed the lakes directly in the late North Sung Dynasty leads to the prosperity tend to depression of lakes in Liangzhe Province. Lakes of Liangzhe Province are mainly administered by the officials of province,state and county, the comprehensive benefits of them is making by their cooperation and governance. Due to the political factors, economic and social reasons, the South Sung Dynasty paid more attention than the North Sung Dynasty to the lakes’ control and management of Liangzhe Province. It reverses the situation that the lakes are reclaimed of Liangzhe Province since the North Sung Dynasty as well as ensures that many vital lakes continue to play positive roles.