A Century of Economic Puzzle in China: Port Cities and Their Hinterlands and China's Modernization

Author: Wu Songdi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: This book, starting from the global wave of modernization and the vastness and regional disparities of China, comprehensively discusses the process of China's modernization after 1840, based on research supported by rich customs data and local sources. It explores how modernization began in coastal and river-port cities and extended along major transportation routes into the vast interior, as well as the relationship between port cities and their hinterlands. The book not only examines the trade and economic development of 12 important port cities like Shanghai and their bidirectional interactions with their hinterlands but also discusses the relationship between ports, cities, and regions in areas such as the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta, as well as their impact on current regional economic development and modernization. With an expansive perspective, solid data, innovative arguments, and fluent writing, the book not only provides readers with a grand panorama of China's transformation over more than a century and the spatial process of modernization, helping them understand the progress and regional disparities of China's modernization, but also offers necessary references and insights for current port development, urban planning, and regional development.