The Influence Of The Grand Canal On Townships Of Suzhou During Ming And Qing Dynasties

As a great water conservancy project in Chinese history,the Grand Canal runs through the north and south,connecting the Haihe river,the Yellow River,the Huaihe River,the Yangtze River and the Qiantang River,becoming a major artery of north-south traffic and promoting the economic and social development of the regions along the route.During the Ming and Qing Dynasties,suzhou developed rapidly,and the circulation of the Grand Canal played an important role in it.The connection between the Grand Canal and suzhou towns along the coast was particularly close.The specific influence of the Grand Canal on the development of towns is worth special study.The grand Canal and the development of suzhou town have a long history.China had a tradition of digging canals for transportation as early as the pre-Qin period.After TaiBo went to Wu,he organized the excavation of the first canal in the South of the Yangtze River,and the national grand Canal was first connected in the Sui Dynasty.After the excavation and dredging of the government,a mature grand Canal circulation system was formed in the Ming and Qing dynasties.After the initial development of The Tang and Song dynasties,suzhou towns showed a situation of prosperity and development in the Ming and Qing dynasties.The rise and fall of towns along the Grand Canal was more deeply affected by the circulation of the Grand Canal.town has a long history,but it was not set up until the Ming Dynasty after the canal dredging town,the fate of Hu Shu pass and the grand Canal closely linked.Around the main road of the Grand Canal,Xushuguan formed a perfect waterway transportation network centered on Xushuguan,bringing a broader area into the circulation of the grand Canal,which is reflected in the tax,currency trade and many other aspects of Xushuguan.Fengqiao and Pingwang are both towns along the Grand Canal,which benefit from the circulation of the Grand Canal.As the leading grand Canal wharf in Suzhou,Fengqiao distributed grain and rice through the grand Canal circulation in order to solve the problem of grain shortage in The South of the Yangtze River,forming a national rice market.Pingwang,known as ’Little Fengqiao’,is also a grain and rice flow-type town.However,Pingwang is located in the southernmost part of suzhou section of the Grand Canal and is the "thoroughfare of eight provinces",which controls the circulation of the Grand Canal in Suzhou area,east,west,north and south,and becomes the site of four wars because of its geographical location.The development of these towns shows that the development of the circulation towns in the Ming and Qing Dynasties depended heavily on the Grand Canal,which was reflected in all aspects of economy,society and culture.