Tongguan Historical Geography Research

Tongguan is a port town in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, which is located at the junction of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces, known as "cock asked the three provinces". Since ancient times, Changluo Avenue, Wei River, the Yellow River, Cao canal, have intersected here, Tongguan became an important strategic location on the control of the east and west traffic. At the last time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Tongguan was set for preventing the uprisings of the Qiang people, because of leading the threat to the capital Luoyang.There are ban ditch and12-Citylink in south of Tongguan; the Yellow River holding a circle in north of Tongguan; the Huangxiang ban Wuli secret door in east of Tongguan,Tang Dynasty poet Cui Hao described the place of liking the throat in nine states of China.The essay will discuss the clues which included the times of port town gave birth, the times of military city of the growth, the times of the mature period and the times of declining of governance.The essay is divided into four chapters:The first chapter, it contains the general situation about Tongguan, mainly through the historical and geographical basis of growing up of the place; the granary and water transport and the geographical features that is not only reinforced steel but gentle enough to discuss. The chapter also offers background for the following three chapters.The second chapter discusses the era of the military city of Tongguan. From the Eastern Han in which Tongguan was set up to Yuan Dynasty is the era of military city, due to the limited information, this chapter expounds the defending function of Tongguan as a military city for Chang’an city, including the examples from the Han, Sui, Tang Dynasty.The third chapter discusses the period in combining of military and governance of Tongguan. The era of combining period is from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Yongzheng second year in which aborted the Man city. This chapter expound a process, which includes the military city functions dominated in Jiajing Times into the governance city functions dominated in Kangxi Times.The fourth chapter focuses the governance city times in Tongguan city. Governance city times is from the end of the Qing Emperor Yongzheng second year to the end of1950s, in order to move Tongguan for the construction of the Sanmenxia Reservoir. This chapter chooses Jiaqing Times in Qing Dynasty and1931as examples to prove the point, the Tongguan military city functions have been gradually replaced by the governance city functions in the process.The final summary of the full text, I divide Tongguan into four times that is, the port era, the era of the military city, the combining of military and governance times, the governance city times.1, Port timesThe last barrier from the east Chang’an is Jingshi area, which is the construction of the capital positions in difficult terrain in the Western Han Dynasty, and it is easily defensible. Previously the Tongguan no established, it played a defend role in Chang’an. Therefore I believe that the Chuan Sagong county is a gestation of Tongguan, Jingshi area showed a objective demonstration for the establishment of Tongguan. The Western Han Dynasty to the Eastern Han Dynasty, Tongguan is in the era of the port.2, Military City timesFrom the Eastern Han Dynasty which is founded to the time before Ming Dynasty, the main functions of Tongguan in this era is to defend the capital, it is the era of military city.3, the times of Military city and Governance cityFrom the Ming Dynasty to the second year of Yongzheng, at this time, the function of Tongguan become a city with military and governance, but the military position of Tongguan is a very important in the Ming Dynasty. It is the era of combination of military and governance in Tongguan.4,Governance City TimesTongguan Wei is aborted in the Yongzheng two years (1724). With the events of withdrawal of Manchurian soldiers, cutting Shou Wei, the military functions of Tongguan is further weakening in the second year Qianlong. During the times of Jiaqing to1931, Tongguan has been completely a governance city. Tongguan entered the era of the governance city.