The History Research On Modern Harbin's Butou(Daoli) District(1898—1931)

Harbin is a city which rise depends on the railway.Before the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway,Harbin was just a collection of traditional villages dominated by the natural economy.But by the end of the 19 th century,with the planning of the Chinese Eastern Railway,Harbin was chosen as the junction of the main line and the branch line by virtue of its superior geographical position.Then with the construction of the railway and the intervention of foreign forces,mainly from Russia,Harbin rapidly started the pace of urbanization and urban modernization,and its economy and culture developed rapidly.At the same time,Harbin's modern spatial form had undergone tremendous changes,its main districts' spatial structure had gradually taken shape.Among them,Butou District(At that time,Butou District was also known as Daoli,now it is the core area of Daoli District of Harbin),which was located in the territories attached to the railway and near to the Songhua River,had risen gradually and changed from a riverside wasteland to a busy port and commercial district.In 1907,the Chinese Eastern Railway Administration Bureau set up the Harbin Municipality with a total area of 7.83 square kilometers in Butou District and Xinshijie(At that time,Xinshijie was also known as Qinjiagang and Nangang,now it is the core area of Nangang District of Harbin).Since then,Butou District became a part of the Harbin Municipality and was under the jurisdiction of the Russian-controlled autonomous council.Then,with the outbreak of the October Revolution,Russia's power in China had declined.In 1926,the Chinese government dissolved the autonomous council,the Harbin Municipality ended,and the sovereignty of Butou District officially returned to the Chinese government.Soon after,the Harbin Special City was established and completed the takeover of the former Harbin Municipality's territories.Butou District became a part of the Harbin Special City.Although the administrative subordination of Butou District had undergone great changes in this short period of two or three decades,Butou District had developed rapidly.The municipal authority attached great importance to Butou District's planning and construction both during the Russian-controlled period and after the return of sovereignty.In the late 1920 s and early 1930 s,the streets of Bantou District were wide and clean,the houses were magnificent,the public utilities were complete,and the economy was developed.Bantou District achieved modernization,became Harbin's commercial and economic center and formed distinctive characteristics.At the same time,Bantou District was not only the core district of Harbin,but also an important part of Harbin's multiculture and unique charm.Based on the above,this paper is divided into three chapters: The first chapter mainly introduces the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway,the rise of Harbin and the formation and initial development of Butou District.The second chapter reviews the changes of administrative subordinate and the district construction of Butou District from 1907 to 1931.The third chapter discusses the most important characteristics of Butou District,such as the strong exotic culture and the prosperous cultural,sports and entertainment undertakings.