Chinese Regional History and Geography

Author: Li Xiaocong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: This textbook primarily focuses on exposition rather than getting bogged down in detailed textual research. At the end of each chapter, relevant reference books and sample questions are listed. Certain passages in the book quote historical documents and excerpts from contemporary research works without citing sources in every instance, which may seem like plagiarism. We apologize for this oversight and kindly ask for your understanding. This textbook was written for the Peking University course "Chinese Regional Historical Geography—Geopolitics, Regional Economic Development, and Cultural Landscapes." From the perspective of the interaction between natural conditions and human activities in China, it elaborates on the historical geopolitical structure of the vast, multi-ethnic unified nation during its formation and development process. It discusses the distribution of land and water transportation routes and cities under the constraints of regional geographical environments, regional development models, and the impact of human activities on the natural environment. The book also covers the division of Chinese cultural regions, cultural diffusion and integration, and the characteristics of regional folk cultures.
This textbook is used in conjunction with multimedia lectures, teaching regional historical geography based on the division of China's major natural regions, such as the Loess Plateau, Hexi Corridor, Northwest Inner Mongolia, Sichuan Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Shandong Hills, Middle-Lower Yangtze River Region, Southeast Coastal Area, Lingnan Region, Northeast Plain and Mountains, Inner and Outer Mongolian Grasslands, etc.
The purpose of teaching this course is to cultivate students' comprehensive understanding of the natural environments, economic, and cultural-historical geography of various regions in China from a regional perspective, meeting the needs of academic research and economic and cultural construction talent. Regional studies have become a focal point in international academic research since the 21st century, serving as a critique and supplement to the previous holistic and general descriptions that lacked coherence, and as an "interface" connecting academic research with real-world societal needs. Therefore, we hope that the content of this course and textbook can provide students with new insights into their perspectives on issues.