16至18世纪中国城市化新进程

On the New Course of China's Urbanization from 16th to 18th Century

16至18世纪, 中国各大商帮都从事利润丰厚的大宗商品远距离贸易。高利润促使商业资本向着贸易中心点集中, 从而使一些贸易中心点迅速城市化。在中国经济最发达的江南、运河沿线、长江和珠江沿线、沿海口岸都有一批新兴城市崛起。这一批城市的兴起并非传统的政治因素, 即由于达官、贵人或士兵的相对集中诱发了城市繁荣, 而是由于商业资本集中, 物流量增大而诱发城市繁荣。这是中国城市化的新进程。

Chinese Commercial Groups were engaged in the profitable far-distance trade of staple product from 16th to 18th century. The Profitability led to the concentration of commercial capital on the key commercial places, which therefore led to their rapid urbanization. A group of developing cities rose to prominence in the most developed economic areas in the south of the Changjiang River, along the canal, Changjiang River and Zhujiang River, and in the coastal China. The prominence of these cities, were not resulted from relative concentration of the elites and soldiers as before, but from the concentration of commercial capital, which increased the amount of the commodity in transport. Such an evolution indicated the new course of China's urbanization.