Historical Investigation On The Rise And Fall Of Daokou Town In Northern Henan

Daokou,as one of the four major commercial towns in Henan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties,plays an important role in water transport and materia Daokou was originally called “ Lijia Daokou ”.Since a family of Li surnames was ferrying here,it was called “ Lijia Daokou ” and then gradually simplified as “ Daokou ”.l circulation.Daokou Town first belonged to Xunxian County in Henan Province,and then belonged to Huaxian County.Moreover,Daokou Town has successively accepted the jurisdiction of Weihui House and Zhangde House。The formation of Daokou Town is closely related to its special geographical location.The west side of Daokou town is close to the Wei River,which is roughly S-shaped from south to north,forming a natural wharf.Meanwhile,Daokou Town has a special geographical position,which is between Jizhou,Yanzhou and Yuzhou.It is the main road to Zhili and Beijing in northern Henan.Referring to Shi Jianya ’ s central place theory and market system theory,the author found that the initial Daokou town was only a part of the primary food market in the Ming Dynasty.Ming and Qing Dynasties with the Wei River Water Transport Status Rise,Daokou Town is one of the important wharfs for Wei River water transport in northern Henan,Daokou Town has gradually become the main grain distribution center of Wei River,and has further become the central town for transporting goods in the region.Daokou Town plays an important role in material circulation.In addition to grain,its salt industry is also a bulk of transport materials,and the salt transported is mainly composed of reed salt.Take the Qianlong Dynasty as an example,a total of eight counties and one hall were transferred through Daokou Town,with a total of 48,788 salt citations.After the construction of Daoqing Railway,Daokou Town ’ s position as a water transport hub was not affected.Daokou became a famous water and drought wharf,forming a commercial transportation characterized by commodity exchange.Since the Ming Dynasty,the court had effective jurisdiction over Daokou Town.Under its innate natural advantages of superior waterway conditions,the influence of the court ’ s water transport policy and the construction of Daoqing Railway were also the main reasons for the prosperity and development of Daokou Town.The development of transportation has led to the prosperity of handicraft industry and service industry in cities and towns,and the distinctive local handicraft industry and commerce represented by Daokou tinware and Daokou roast chicken have emerged.There are many shops in Daokou town,and more than ten thousand businessmen operate here.With the development of economy,more and more local and foreign businessmen carry out commercial activities in Daokou Town,which promotes the prosperity of the financial industry.Most of the financial institutions in Daokou Town are founded by foreign businessmen,and the larger ones are the Daokou Branch of Tonghe Yuyin and Rishengchang Shanxi Ticket.Frequent economic exchanges between regions,the formation of Daokou local rich and colorful fairs and temple culture.Among them,the Fire God is the most famous.The existing business hall in Daokou Town is the North King Temple located in the northern corner of the town,which is dedicated to five water-related kings.Whether the water god belief in the temple or the fire god belief at the fire god meeting is inseparable from the prosperity of water transport in Daokou Town.The decline of Daokou Town is mainly manifested in three aspects : water transport,land transport and economy.Due to the development of Daokou Town mainly depends on the water transport of Wei River,the status of Daokou Town was affected by the blockage of Wei River in the late Qing Dynasty.The internal and external chaotic environment and the destruction of Daoqing Railway have greatly affected the development of Daokou Town.The commercial market in the town is depressed and Daokou Town is no longer prosperous.With the abolition of water transport in the late Qing Dynasty,the economy of Daokou Town declined.In the1930 s,the destruction of the railway made the economy of Daokou Town fall.Therefore,exploring the rise and fall history of Daokou Town has important reference significance for the urbanization development and economic development of Daokou Town in Henan Province.