| The process of modern economic development and the pattern of economic geography in the Yangtze river basin have vital influences on the formation of the pattern of economic geography.In order to obtain the economic landscape of the Yangtze River basin,the research takes Treaty Ports in the Yangtze river basin from 1879 to 1899 and intercity economic links as the object.To confirm the economy range of hinterland and measure economic links between the ports,the research not only adopt the value of import and export trade and the destinations of goods in each port,but also the source of import goods,the destinations of export and re-export goods between the port and the one it linked as indicators.The indicators are capable of judge the density and intensity of economic links,which lead to the ascertainment of gradients in Treaty ports.In addition,confirmed by local historical documents,the research will reach a conclusion.Concluded though the density and the intensity of economic links between treaty ports and other regions,the first gradient in the Yangtze river basin was Shanghai,and the second gradient was Hankow.Both Shanghai and Hankow belonged to the highgradient region,and the high-gradient region has extensive and close economic links with other regions.The third gradient in the Yangtze river basin was Chinkiang,Kiukiang and Wuhu,and the fourth gradient was Chungking,Yichang and Shasi,all of which were lower gradients.Generally speaking,Shanghai,as the center of the economic landscape of the Yangtze river basin in the early opening,furthered its direct or indirect economic links to Chinkiang,Kiukiang,Wuhu,Chungking,Yichang and Shasi,which were in lower gradients.Hankow acted a transshipment hub to make Shanghai to exert its influence.The gradients played their roles as the economic hinterland.That is,the economic pattern of the Yangtze river basin at the early stage of the port opening was a hierarchical network structure with Shanghai as the center,Hankow as the secondary center and other ports as the intermediaries. |
