绿洲与绿洲城市:从农牧时代到工业时代新疆城市发展的特点

Oases and Cities around Them: The Characteristics of Urban Development in Xinjiang from the Farming-Grazing Period to the Industrial Age

新疆特殊的自然地理环境,尤其是其独特的绿洲生态系统对新疆城市的影响显著。绿洲和绿洲城市成为新疆城市区别于中国其他区域城市的一个十分重要的特点。农牧业时代新疆绿洲城市的特点主要表现为两个方面,一是绿洲城市与绿洲具有一致性特点——不平衡性、分散性和封闭性;二是新疆绿洲城市数量少、规模小,长期发展缓慢。进入工业时代,新疆绿洲城市的发展出现新的特点,一是城市数量增多,城市规模扩大,初步形成绿洲城市区域体系;二是绿洲城市从封闭走向开放;三是经济城市从单一功能向综合性多功能发展,城市功能不断强化;四是绿洲城市出现可持续发展的新趋势。在国家实施"一带一路"战略的背景下,新疆绿洲城市迎来了新的发展机遇。

The natural geographical environment has an important impact on human activities.Especially at the beginning of human civilization and during the agricultural age when productivity was backward,its influence on human beings was very pronounced,and played an important role on the formation and development of cities. In those areas where the ecological environment was poor,the survival and development of human beings were restricted by the environment,and it was difficult to form settlements and cities. However,in those areas where the ecological environment was relatively good,where it was suitable for farming or grazing,human beings＇ survival was easy. They could engage in various modes of production and social activities, and settlements or cities were formed which went from small scale to large,and from several to many. Xinjiang^1 is the largest administrative district at the provincial level in China. It covers an area of 1. 66 million square kilometers,and lies in northwest China. The natural geographical environment of Xinjiang is very special. The ecological environment in most areas of Xinjiang is very poor,and unsuitable for human survival. Therefore,there are no cities in these areas,and also very little human activity. However,oases,a peculiar kind of natural ecological environment,are formed in the arid and semiarid regions of Xinjiang. These provided a space for the development of the production and social activitiesof human beings,and also deeply impacted the formation and development of cities there. Therefore,the civilization of Xijiang started very early. As early as the Paleolithic period,there were already human activities,and several cities and kingdoms appeared 2000 years ago. From the farming-grazing period to the industrial age,Xinjiang cities have had their own unique path of development;the oases and the cities around them,formed very important characteristics which were quite different from other cities in other regions of China. With regard to the characteristics of oasis cities in Xinjiang,most of the early scholarly research only provided a brief introduction rather than making a deep exploration by putting it into a long term framework. Therefore,this article tries to give an analysis from the perspective of two periods,the farming-grazing period and the industrial age.During the farming-grazing period,the natural ecological conditions surrounding the oases were relatively good,so it was suitable for the development of farming or grazing; human beings could survive there,and engage in various modes of production and social activities. Gradually,early settlements and cities were formed. The oasis cities of Xinjiang during this age have two main characteristics： 1） they were consistent,— unbalanced,dispersed and closed. Generally,the distribution of oases in Xinjiang was unbalanced or uneven. and they were dispersed—this also determined the un-balanced nature and dispersion of oasis cities. In addition,due to the geographical proximity of the oases,they dramatically influenced the openness of Xinjiang cities,and restricted the ability of the cities to gather and radiate power and strength. 2）Both the quantity and scale of the oasis cities in Xinjiang were small, and they developed very slowly. The formation and development of Xinjiang cities had to depend on the oases,but the ecological environment of the oases is very fragile,and their carrying capacity is weak. Therefore, the quantity,scale and development speed of these cities was influenced. In addition,another reason why the Xinjiang cities developed slowly is due to backward economic development, low benefits from urban handicrafts and commerce,as well as the small populations that lived in these oases. After entering into the industrial age,the development of the oasis cities in Xinjiang acquired some new features： 1） both the quantity and scale of cities improved,and a system of oasis cities was initially formed 2） the oasis cities developed from＂closed＂to＂open＂; 3） the single economic function of the cities developed to more comprehensive functions,and these functions increasingly intensified; 4） oasis cities have entered a new trend of sustainable development,i. e. within the context of the national strategy of ＂One Belt and One Road＂,a new development opportunity is now waiting for the oasis cities in Xinjiang.