Research On The Decline Of Bozhou In Modern Times

Bozhou,located in the northwest of Anhui Province,has been one of the regional centers of the Huaihe River Basin since Wei,Jin and Ming and Qing Dynasties.Bozhou’s development depends on the long-standing trade of medicinal materials,smooth waterway transportation and convenient geographical location,which provide convenient conditions for its social and economic development.Since the middle of the Qing Dynasty,Bozhou has enjoyed the reputation of "one of the four major pharmaceutical societies" and "Little Nanjing".In the early years of the Republic of China,Bozhou has developed into an important commercial city in the area adjacent to Anhui,Henan and Shandong.Due to the closer connection between domestic towns and cities and the more active circulation of commodities,Bozhou’s industry has also started gradually,showing a tendency to develop into a modern city.However,with the combination of modern changes and traditional limitations,Bozhou’s economic development has been hindered.From the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the early Republic of China,because Bozhou is located at the junction of Anhui and Henan provinces and the Wohe River,the second largest tributary of the Huai River,flows through Bozhou,it became an important commercial hub connecting Jiangnan and Central China.Relying on the belief of Huatao,the superior agricultural environment,the policy support of the government and other factors,the trade of Chinese medicinal materials and goods transport in Bozhou flourished rapidly.Merchants from Shanxi,Huizhou,Liangjiang and other places also flock to Bozhou with their own products.The prosperity of commerce and the increase of population have also promoted the change of Bozhou’s urban space.With the construction and operation of the Jinpu Railway in 1909 and the Longhai Railway in 1916,Bengbu in northern Anhui and Shangqiu in Eastern Henan began to rise rapidly,which changed the economic and geographical pattern of the areas adjacent to Anhui,Henan and Lu,and Bozhou’s economic status began to decline.Between 1925 and 1930,Sun Dianying inflicted three disasters on Bozhou,killing and pillaging merchants and people,which severely damaged the vitality of Bozhou’s industry and commerce.Later,due to warlord struggle,Japanese invasion of China and other factors,Bozhou economy began to be completely silent.Bozhou’s silence is the epitome of the decline of China’s vast inland areas since modern times.Bozhou’s decline is due to the impact of the new traffic pattern,political turmoil,frequent wars and other factors of The Times,as well as the deterioration of the ecological environment,the difficulty of Huaibei agriculture and the constant occurrence of gangsters and other traditional factors.