明清时期太湖流域的中心地结构

太湖流域是长江三角洲的核心组成部分。研究表明,该地区虽然水网密布,水系发达,并有太湖等大小湖泊存在,但并不影响中心地结构在该区域的形成,其形成机理是地形平坦、水系呈规则的圩田塘埔系统,及高度发达的市场体系。该中心地结构的中心城市是苏州,而苏州位于太湖流域的几何中心;另一方面,不同等级中心地的间距之间存在着高度的对应性。据此,根据太湖流域中心地的形成过程,可以给出以下的中心地结构的形成路径:区域几何中心决定最高等级中心地的区位;区域面积决定一级中心地与二级中心地之间及二级中心地之间的距离;高等级中心地之间的间距决定以后,余下的不同等级中心地之间的距离即可同时决定。由此,太湖流域中心地结构的形成体现了典型的自上而下的中心地形成过程与类型。这一形成过程具有一般性,即对任何一个中心地而言,都有一个自低等级中心地向高等级中心地的转化、升级过程,但对整个区域而言,却是高等级中心地首先形成,然后才是以此为中心各级不同等级中心地的相继形成,最终形成完整的中心地等级体系。其研究结论丰富与完善了中心地学说。

Central Place System of Taihu Basin during the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Taihu Basin is the core of the Yangtze Delta. Although it is a complicated hydrological network which has many brooks and lakes in this region, it has no effect on the formation of central place system. The flat terrain, regular farmlands encircled by water and developed market system are the immanent factors contributing to this formation process. Suzhou is the central city of the city hierarchy, and it is located in the geometric center of Taihu Basin. Meanwhile, there is high correspondence of distance between centers on different hierarchical levels. So, based on the development of the centers in Taihu Basin, the formation route of the central place system is put forward: the location of the highest centre is determined by the geometric centre of this region; the distance between the first-level center and the second-level center is determined by regional dimensions, as well as the distance between centers at the second level; subsequently, the remained centers will be generated synchronously after the distance of the advanced hierarchical levels is established. Therefore, a typical from-top-to-bottom formation process of the centers is shown in the central place system of the Taihu Basin. This process is universal. That is, most centres will experienced a changeable, upgraded process from basic to advanced, but the case for a whole region is different. A regional central place system begins with advanced centers, afterwards, centers of the rest levels come into being gradually. Finally, an integrated central place system will exist. Based on the above process, this study will extend and supplement the classical central place theory.