A Preliminary Discussion on the Rebuilding of Historical Landform of Rivers of China
Weibing Yang, Fudan University
wbyang@fudan.edu.cn

On Digitization Problems of the Influence of Buddhism
Zhang Weiran, Fudan University
wrzhang@sh163.net

The Opening of a Commercial Port and its Regional Urbanization
----Take the transition of the settlements on the north bank of the Suzhou River in Shanghai as the example
Zhang Xiaohong, Fudan University
zhangxiaohong@fudan.edu.cn

Abstracts

A Preliminary Discussion on the Rebuilding of Historical Landform of Rivers of China
Weibing Yang, Fudan University

It has making great progress on study of the distribution and change of Chinese rivers in history by historical geography researchers since 1950s. So we have known many general systems of branches and channels of the lower reaches of Huanghe River and the middle and lower reaches of Changjiang River, whether their riverways were stable or not in history. In addition, we also have learned the relation between these systems and changes of regional landforms through study. But many questions still remain, the distribution of historical document is uneven and new technique is scarce, so the work became difficult to rebuild the historical changes of landforms of rivers in the past.

1. The information order is faulty in rebuilding of historical change of river. In the past, most works selected biggish scales of time to research, such as one and more dynasties or 100 and hundreds years. The method cannot meet the need of CHGIS and study exactly.
2. Give preference to abnormal change and there is a lack of normal change in study of historical river. The phenomena that riverbank breached and channel swayed were only few activities in historical period. What was stable type of the rivers in history? How to distribute the riverways? How long time have them remained? It will be make for our overall study today if these questions are considered.
3. The work is needed on correlation of the change between river and environment. Firstly, it is very important work that reviews the drive factors of environment change in rebuilding of historical landform of rivers. For instance, these effects that seal level and hydrologic change, land use and cover change for landform of rivers in the east of China. Secondly, it must have more scientific research about background of riverway when it kept steady state or moved in history. Lastly, the study that historical rivers changes affect regional environment in the sweeping was deficient except the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.
4. The work of historical river map in GIS technique should be developed rapidly. On the one hand, we may draw maps in GIS technique in many results, like as Historical Physical Geography of China, Chinese Academy of Science compiled, 1982. On the other hand, we can correct and make up for some study in the past. So the method of rebuilding of historical landform of rivers should change from tradition to digitalization and drive newly study on Chinese Historical Physical Geography.
   

I have paid much attention on the influence of Buddhism in the developing process of human-environment relationship. I found that previous researches all resort to document description. In my opinion, it is possible to digitize the two aspects as followed: (1) the Buddhist monk’s occupation of natural resources which for the most part were land, gardens patches, forests and mountains, etc. (2) the Buddhist groups’ action in activities such as charitable enterprise and disaster relieve that all contributed to social stabilization. Direct data about the first aspect exists n earlier historical documents (there is many related records in materials of Song dynasty), while there is only descriptive record about the second one. In fact, there is difficulty in both of the two aspects.

The Opening of a Commercial Port and its Regional Urbanization
----Take the transition of the settlements on the north bank of the Suzhou River in Shanghai as the example
Zhang Xiaohong, Fudan University

In the 23rd year of Dao-guang period during Qing Dynasty(1843), Shanghai formally became an open commercial port,which had great influence on history. On one hand, along with the development of foreign trade and the formation of export-oriented economy, the urban population increased and space expanded rapidly. Shanghai then quickly grew to be the biggest metropolis in the Far East On the other hand, the original local urban system of Shanghai changed a lot under such export-oriented economy,such as the increasing number of the settlement, the transformed function and the formation of urban network . This article selected the north bank of Suzhou River as the example, GIS was used here to show the changes of the settlements' quantity and location in this area year by year since 1843, hoping to reflect the process of the urbanization and the local urban system of Shanghai, also to establish the basis for the further analysis as well, for instance, the inner settlements' ranks and scale, the type of functions, the characteristics of the materials-circulate, the space structure and their forming mechanism, etc.