The 400-Kilometer Oujiang River
By Ma Xueqiang, Zou Yi, and Hu Duan, Commercial Press, January 2016
The Oujiang River, the second longest river in southeastern China’s Zhejiang Province, empties into the East China Sea. The river runs 388 kilometers through southern Zhejiang, nourishing an area of 18,028 square kilometers, hailed as the “Mother River” by the people of Wenzhou, a city on the forefront of China's economic reform and opening up thanks to its well-developed private economy. Wenzhou’s relationship to Oujiang is more than coincidental: The river serves as a major route within China’s thriving shipping industry.
The area at the upper reaches of the Oujiang River is an important region for the hydroelectric development. Lishui City, for example, is home to a state Grade A hydroelectric power station, Jinshuitan. The areas at the lower reaches compose a major economic zone for Zhejiang’s industry and agriculture. The natural environment along the Oujiang River region has been placed under tight protection and tourist sites have sprouted, the most famous of which is Yandang Mountain, considered the most stunning in southeastern China.
The authors systematically depict the changes, both naturally and culturally, along the banks of the Oujiang River by fusing the history and geology of the river region over centuries, making this book the first of its kind to link natural geography and human history by breaking barriers of administrative regions.
The book recounts stories about local ecology, ancient paths and waterways, ruins and places of historical interest, folklores and lifestyle, as well as urban changes, featuring more than 150 precious pictures.
Ma Xueqiang, a Ph.D. in history, serves as vice president of Shanghai Society of History Annals, a research fellow at the Institute of History under Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), and a chief expert of the Innovation Team of Study on Urban Cultural Heritage, SASS. Over the past few years, Ma has specialized in studying China's urban history, regional history, and urban cultural heritage. His many published books include Volume 2 of General History of Shanghai.
Zou Yi, also a Ph.D. in history, serves as deputy director and associate professor of the Research Center for Historical Geology under Fudan University. In recent years, Zou has focused on studying historical geography and social economics during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and the Republic of China era (1912-1949), especially the development of the traditional agricultural society and modern cities. His book, Tea Business and Local Society in Huizhou Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1949) was well received upon publication.
Hu Duan, a history master’s degree holder, serves as assistant researcher at the archives of Shanghai Jiaotong University. A dozen of his essays have been published.
A photo from the English-version The Dragon at Close Range by Willam C. McGrath, published in Canada in 1938, shows sailboats transporting cargo down the Oujiang River. The majority of the 100-plus old photos focused on Lishui, Zhejiang Province, between 1931 and 1939.
Transporting a vehicle by bamboo raft, from The Dragon at Close Range.
A sacrificial ceremony from The Dragon at Close Range.
A foreign missionary in Lishui is skillful with chopsticks, from The Dragon at Close Range.
A 1877 map of the prefectural city of Wenzhou, from Zhong Chong’s photo album.
Photos showcasing the craftsmanship of making Longquan celadon.