交通便塞与古镇兴衰——基于皖南西河古镇田野调查的研究

Transportation Convenience and Congestion and Rise and Fall of Old Town——A Case Study of Ancient Xihe Town in Wuhu County

交通状况与经济发展关系极大。明代中后期,由于全国商品经济的发达,便捷的青弋江水路催生了西河镇的兴起。自清中叶直到民国,古镇达到繁荣,最盛时小镇有商铺二百多家,在沟通皖南山区与芜湖及长江中下游经济交流方面起到了重要作用。由于青弋江水经常泛滥,每当洪水退去,圩堤就要加高一次,但堤上的房屋无法升高,这就形成了圩堤高于房屋的特殊景象。20世纪70年代,由于皖南铁路、公路的建设,逐渐取代了水路运输,西河镇走向衰落。所以,一个地方商品经济的盛衰,很大程度上取决于此地交通的便塞。

Traffic and economic development have a great relationship.In the middle and late Ming Dynasty,due to the developed commodity economy in China,the convenient Qingyi River led to the rise of Xihe Town,which was built on the dike.In the middle Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China,it reached its prosperity,with more than 200 shops at that time.It played an important role in communicating the mountainous areas in southern Anhui province with the economic exchanges between Wuhu City and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.Due to the frequent flooding of Qingyi River,whenever the flood receded,the dikes embankment would be raised again and the embankment of the house could not be raised,which formed a special view of the dike above the house.Seventies of last century,because of the construction of Wannan Railway and highway they replaced the waterway transport,Xihe town began to decline.Therefore,the prosperity and decline of a local commodity economy much depends on convenient transportation and congestion here.