制度变迁视角下的江南古镇保护——以江南六镇为例

The Conservation of Chinese Historic Towns From the Perspective of Iinstitutional Change:The Case of Six Water Towns South of the Yangtze River

借鉴新制度经济学和新经济史学的分析方法,从制度变迁的角度探究转型期条件下中国古镇保护发展演变的内在逻辑。在对江南水乡古镇保护三个主要历史发展阶段进行回顾分析,指出古镇区是一种具有特殊历史文化属性的稀缺性土地资源,在转型期条件下它基本处于基层地方政府的掌控之中,而具有一定利益独立性的地方政府之所以选择古镇保护,是因为保护活动在特定的历史条件下成为一项净收益(率)最高的投资活动。就本质而言,转型期中国古镇保护的发展历程也就是地方政府随着外部社会经济条件的变化,借助古镇区资源不断追逐自身利益最大化的过程。

With the methods of new institutional economics and new economic history, this paper tries to explore the internal logic of the historical development of historic town conservation during China＇s transitional period. After a historical review on the three main phases of the conservation of water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, the author insisted that historic town district is a special kind of land resources because of its historic and cultural value and it is in the charge of local government in the context of China＇s transitional period. When the local governments realize that conservation is more profitable than any other investment available, they would begin to conserve the historic town in order to obtain its potential benefit. So the local government plays the most important role in the conservation of China＇s historic town.