DOCSLIB.ORG

Cooperation, Land Use, and the Environment in Uxin Ju

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Cooperation, Land Use, and the Environment in Uxin Ju Cooperation, Land Use, and the Environment in Uxin Ju: The Changing Landscape of a Mongolian-Chinese Borderland in China Author(s): Hong Jiang Source: Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 94, No. 1 (Mar., 2004), pp. 117-139 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of the Association of American Geographers Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3694071 . Accessed: 16/10/2014 15:40 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Taylor & Francis, Ltd. and Association of American Geographers are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Annals of the Association of American Geographers. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 80.188.25.114 on Thu, 16 Oct 2014 15:40:22 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Cooperation,Land Use, and the Environment in Uxin Ju: The Changing Landscape of a Mongolian-ChineseBorderland in China HongJiang DepartmentofGeography, University ofWisconsin at Madison and Institute of ResourcesScience, Beijing Normal University Human-environmentalstudies have done much to examineenvironmental consequences of conflictualpolitics but havepaid scant attention to landscapeimplications of cooperation, especially when that cooperation is adoptedby a groupthat is seenas politically less powerful. This article examines cooperative politics and its consequences for land useand the environmentin UxinJu, a Mongol-dominatedborder area in China.Since the 1980s,in the contextof China'seconomic reform, land use in UxinJu has become more intensified, and the identification of the Mongolian culturehas shifted from land-use practices to symbolicfeatures such as language and heritage. Much of the change hasbeen influenced by the Mongols'cooperative relationship with the Chinesestate and the HanChinese people. The Mongolshave participated actively in the state'sproject of economicmodernization and have utilizedtheir accessto Chinesetechnology and laborers to theirown advantagein bringingabout land-use change that helps strengthentheir economicwell-being. This cooperativerelationship and its impacton land use have to be understoodin the historicalcontext of Uxin Ju as a Mongolian-Chineseborderland, the broadsocioeconomic transformationthat is takingplace in China,and the contemporaryexperience of Mongoliancultural change. The environmentaloutcome of suchcooperation, however, is rathermixed. On the sandydryland of UxinJu, as parts of thelandscape are improved, other parts are sandified. The entire landscape has become more homogenized spatially; thus,its regenerative capacity is compromised.This calls into question any a prioricorrespondence between forms of politicsand environmental consequences. Key Words: Politics, environmental change, Mongolian-Chinese interaction, culturalidentity, cultural and political ecology. uman-environmentalstudies have done much cated picture than the typically reported scenario of to examineenvironmental consequences of con- degradation. flictualpolitics but have paid scant attention to Focusingon cooperationand its culturaland environ- landscapeimplications of cooperation,especially when mentalconsequences, this articleexpands upon the forms that cooperationis adoptedby a groupthat is seen as of politics in political ecological studies, notably the politicallyless powerful. This article examines cooperative commonly accepted frameworkthat privilegesconflicts politicsand its consequences for land use, culture, and the betweengroups and resistance of the weak.In refusingthe environmentin Uxin Ju, a Mongolianpastoral area assertionthat Mongols are either resistorsor victims in situatedin InnerMongolia Autonomous Region, China. managingtheir own landscape,this article promotesan Although,historically, the Mongols'relationship with the alternativetheorization, that of cooperationinitiated by Chinesehas often been conflictual,since the 1980s, the Mongols, that helps explain the most fundamental Mongolshave actively participated in the Chinesestate's changes in the landscape and related aspects of the projectof economicmodernization and have utilized their Mongolianculture. While steeringaway from resistance as accessto Chinesetechnology and laborers effectively in a particularform of environmentalpolitics, this article orderto expandtheir own economy. Mongols' cooperative builds upon the basic premiseof resistancescholarship: relationshipwith the Chinesestate and the HanChinese the active powerof human agency.I contend that when peoplehas precipitatedsignificant changes in land use, accordeda certaindegree of freedom,the groupdeemed culturalidentity, and the environmentin Uxin Ju. For less powerful,in this case the Mongols, not only may example,not only have intensiveland-use practices of cooperatewith the seeminglypowerful, in this case the enclosure,planting, and irrigationincreased on the Chinese people and state, but also can use such coopera- landscape,but culturalsignificance of landuse has also tion to empoweritself both culturallyand economically. become diluted. Environmentally,both improvement Such an empowerment,however, does not necessarily anddegradation have resulted, displaying a more compli- bringabout long-term environmental sustainability, as the Annalsof theAssociation of AmericanGeographers, 94(1), 2004, pp. 117-139 C2004 by Association of American Geographers Initial submission,January 2001; revised submission,January 2003; final acceptance, May 2003. Publishedby BlackwellPublishing, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, and 9600 GarsingtonRoad, Oxford OX4 2DQ, U.K. This content downloaded from 80.188.25.114 on Thu, 16 Oct 2014 15:40:22 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 118 Jiang experience in Uxin Ju demonstrates. This lack of has shown that local people have resisted changes im- correspondencebetween forms of politics and environ- posed by the government and developmentalagencies mental outcomes speaks to the complexityof regional throughstrengthening their indigenousinstitutions and human-environmentalrealities. This article calls for a practices (Richards1985; Howitt, Connell, and Hirsch seriousconsideration of cooperativepolitics and its en- 1996). vironmentalconsequences. The excellence and importance of these research To situate this study,I begin by addressingtheoretical projectshave been taken to fosterthe understandingthat issues about the relationshipamong cooperation,power, resistanceis a trademarkof criticalscholarship, a sign of and the environment.This is followedby a discussionof takingpolitics seriously. But as Bebbington(2000) warns, field researchmethods that are employedin this study. privilegingresistance runs the risk of detaching politics These theoretical and methodologicalissues are then fromlivelihood practices. The diversityand specificityof interwovenin the foursections that structuremy discus- differentlocalities and local culturescan lead to a wide sion of cultural-environmentaltransformations in Uxin array of local responses, including resistance (Peluso Ju. The first section introduces the case study area, 1992), assimilation,and cooperation(Bebbington 2000). focusing on the history of the Mongolian-Chinese Localagencies have the capacityeither to enhanceor alter relationshipand land use before 1978. A briefdiscussion structuralforces (Giddens 1984), thus creating diverse of Chinese immigrationis included.The second section social and environmentaloutcomes. Local people may examines interactions between the Mongols and the indeed cooperatewith the state and othergroups in order Chinese,in particular,how the state has helped structure to achievetheir own goalsand gain theirown power.Such the interactions,and how the interactionshave occurred cooperationcan become, at times, the primaryfeature of aroundland use. This is followedby a third section that group-group and local-state relationships.Privileging examinesthe consequencesof Mongolian-Chineseinter- resistanceruns other risks, too. It may, however unin- actions for land-use and cultural change. The fourth tentionally,help to essentializelocal cultures and thus sectionexamines the environmentalconsequences of land- undermine the importance of cultural change, which use and culturalchange throughthe analysesof remote- oftenblurs the distinctionbetween the indigenousand the sensingimages and ecological processes. In the conclusion, outside.Not onlycan localpeople direct external forces to I summarizekey findingsof this study and reflecton the their own advantageand "buildmodernity from below" politics of cooperationand its implicationfor political- (Bebbington 2000), local cultures also change when ecologicalstudy. interactingwith externalforces, exhibiting what is seen as cooperation.Globalization has madesuch cultural change commonplace.Uxin Ju, like other pastoralsocieties, has Introduction long been influenced by the outside world (Khazanov 1994), and interaction with the Chinese has long ago Cooperation, Power, and the Environment made it into a place of "mixedlife" (Lattimore1940). Thus, Uxin Ju'scontinuing transformation under external Many scholars maintain
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ESC Paper Style
    Organized by: BUILDING RESILIENCE OF MONGOLIAN RANGELANDS A TRANS-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CONFERENCE June 9-10, 2015 Sponsoråd by: -1- DDC 636.07845 M-691 Copyright © 2015 by Nutag Action and Research Institute All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of the authors or publisher. Tsogt Print 2015. Printed in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia ,6%1 ISBN 978-99962-971-7-5 Proceedings of Building Resilience of Mongolian Rangelands: A Trans-disciplinary Research Conference, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, June 9-10, 2015 Edited by: María E. Férnández-Giménez Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, USA Batkhishig Baival Nutag Action and Research Institute, Mongolia Steven R.Fassnacht Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, USA David Wilson Nutag Action and Research Institute, Mongolia Translated by: Chimgee Ganbold Dugermaa Vanluu Munkhzul Purevsuren Peace Bridge Training Center, Mongolia -2- Contents Acknowledgement of Conference and Proceedings Funders Proceedings Sponsors Statement Building Resilience of Mongolian Rangelands: A Trans‐disciplinary Research Conference – Preface Maria E. Fernandez‐Gimenez, Steven R. Fassnacht, Batkhishig Baival PART I Rangeland Ecology and Management 1 Mongolian Rangeland Ecological Capacity, and Results of Studying Opportunities of Using
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Codes for Each Court of Each Level
    Table of Codes for Each Court of Each Level Corresponding Type Chinese Court Region Court Name Administrative Name Code Code Area Supreme People’s Court 最高人民法院 最高法 Higher People's Court of 北京市高级人民 Beijing 京 110000 1 Beijing Municipality 法院 Municipality No. 1 Intermediate People's 北京市第一中级 京 01 2 Court of Beijing Municipality 人民法院 Shijingshan Shijingshan District People’s 北京市石景山区 京 0107 110107 District of Beijing 1 Court of Beijing Municipality 人民法院 Municipality Haidian District of Haidian District People’s 北京市海淀区人 京 0108 110108 Beijing 1 Court of Beijing Municipality 民法院 Municipality Mentougou Mentougou District People’s 北京市门头沟区 京 0109 110109 District of Beijing 1 Court of Beijing Municipality 人民法院 Municipality Changping Changping District People’s 北京市昌平区人 京 0114 110114 District of Beijing 1 Court of Beijing Municipality 民法院 Municipality Yanqing County People’s 延庆县人民法院 京 0229 110229 Yanqing County 1 Court No. 2 Intermediate People's 北京市第二中级 京 02 2 Court of Beijing Municipality 人民法院 Dongcheng Dongcheng District People’s 北京市东城区人 京 0101 110101 District of Beijing 1 Court of Beijing Municipality 民法院 Municipality Xicheng District Xicheng District People’s 北京市西城区人 京 0102 110102 of Beijing 1 Court of Beijing Municipality 民法院 Municipality Fengtai District of Fengtai District People’s 北京市丰台区人 京 0106 110106 Beijing 1 Court of Beijing Municipality 民法院 Municipality 1 Fangshan District Fangshan District People’s 北京市房山区人 京 0111 110111 of Beijing 1 Court of Beijing Municipality 民法院 Municipality Daxing District of Daxing District People’s 北京市大兴区人 京 0115
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of the Livelihood Vulnerability of Pastoral Households in Northern China to Natural Disasters and Climate Change
    CSIRO PUBLISHING The Rangeland Journal, 2014, 36, 535–543 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/RJ13051 Evaluation of the livelihood vulnerability of pastoral households in Northern China to natural disasters and climate change Wenqiang Ding A,C, Weibo Ren A,C,D, Ping Li A,C, Xiangyang Hou A,D, Xiaolong Sun B, Xiliang Li A, Jihong Xie A and Yong Ding A,D AInstitute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 010010, China. BInner Mongolia Ecology and Agro-Meteorology Centre, 010051, China. CThe authors contributed equally to the paper. DCorresponding authors. Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract. This study was carried out to evaluate the vulnerability of the herders in the grassland areas of Northern China. The results showed that, as a consequence of less capital accumulation, the herders in this area were vulnerable as a whole, and that gender, grassland area, livestock numbers and net incomes have significant effects on the vulnerability of grazer households. The families with female householders tended to be more vulnerable and they were characterised as owning less grassland, smaller houses, fewer or no vehicles, fewer young livestock and numbers of livestock slaughtered annually, whereas the families with low vulnerability had a higher net income. Geographically, household vulnerability showed a decreasing trend from west to east in Northern China at the county or region scale, which was positively correlated with grassland productivity. Social resources played a less important role than natural resources in decreasing the herders’ vulnerability. Educational level of the household members and the household labour capacity played important roles in reducing vulnerability.
    [Show full text]
  • Estimating Spatiotemporal Patterns of Aboveground Biomass Using
    Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 200 (2015) 119–128 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Agricultural and Forest Meteorology j ournal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/agrformet Estimating spatiotemporal patterns of aboveground biomass using Landsat TM and MODIS images in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China a a b,∗ Feng Yan , Bo Wu , Yanjiao Wang a Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China b National Climate Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081, China a r a t i b s c t l e i n f o r a c t Article history: Aboveground biomass (AGB) in areas of desertification cannot only represent the status of vegetation but Received 23 September 2013 can also provide evidence to evaluate the effects of ecological restoration and help land managers realize Received in revised form 9 September 2014 sustainable development of desert ecosystems. Current research estimating AGB by remote sensing has Accepted 18 September 2014 mainly focused on forest, grasslands and crops, and has infrequently been applied to desert ecosystems. Available online 10 October 2014 We used Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MODIS) data to estimate AGB and its spatiotemporal patterns from 2000 to 2012 in the Mu Us Sandy Keywords: Land of China. Results showed that: (1) AGB varied from 2000 to 2012 and total AGB showed an increasing Aboveground biomass (AGB) trend of 0.1743 Tg per year. The lowest total AGB was observed in 2000 and 2001 and the highest in 2012, The Mu Us Sandy Land with slightly less in 2007.
    [Show full text]
  • China Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation Situation Analysis and Research Strategy
    China Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation Situation Analysis and Research Strategy Final Report (Annex) Submitted to: NERC, ESRC and DFID 23 May 2008 Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) CAB International UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre Stanford University - The Natural Capital Project Walker Institute for Climate System Research, University of Reading Ningxia Centre for Environment and Poverty Alleviation Ningxia Development and Reform Commission Contents Annex1 Project methodology .................................................................................................. 1 Annex2 Introduction to the conceptual framework of this report ............................................. 5 Annex3 Concepts of Ecosystem Services and Management in relation to Poverty ............... 8 Annex4 Ningxia Case Study ................................................................................................. 11 Annex5 Ecological zones and land use maps ...................................................................... 15 Annex6 Ecosystem Services Knowledge Gaps .................................................................... 17 Annex7 Additional data and analysis of drivers of change in ecosystems and poverty ........ 21 Annex8 Sloping Land Conversion Programme (Grain for Green) ........................................ 28 Annex9 Payment for Environmental Services (PES) ............................................................ 30 Annex10 Studies of climate change impacts on ecosystem services .................................
    [Show full text]
  • Human Brucellosis Occurrences in Inner Mongolia, China: a Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Ecological Niche Modeling Approach Peng Jia1* and Andrew Joyner2
    Jia and Joyner BMC Infectious Diseases (2015) 15:36 DOI 10.1186/s12879-015-0763-9 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Human brucellosis occurrences in inner mongolia, China: a spatio-temporal distribution and ecological niche modeling approach Peng Jia1* and Andrew Joyner2 Abstract Background: Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease and remains a major burden in both human and domesticated animal populations worldwide. Few geographic studies of human Brucellosis have been conducted, especially in China. Inner Mongolia of China is considered an appropriate area for the study of human Brucellosis due to its provision of a suitable environment for animals most responsible for human Brucellosis outbreaks. Methods: The aggregated numbers of human Brucellosis cases from 1951 to 2005 at the municipality level, and the yearly numbers and incidence rates of human Brucellosis cases from 2006 to 2010 at the county level were collected. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS) and ecological niche modeling (ENM) were integrated to study the distribution of human Brucellosis cases over 1951–2010. Results: Results indicate that areas of central and eastern Inner Mongolia provide a long-term suitable environment where human Brucellosis outbreaks have occurred and can be expected to persist. Other areas of northeast China and central Mongolia also contain similar environments. Conclusions: This study is the first to combine advanced spatial statistical analysis with environmental modeling techniques when examining human Brucellosis outbreaks and will help to inform decision-making in the field of public health. Keywords: Brucellosis, Geographic information systems, Remote sensing technology, Ecological niche modeling, Spatial analysis, Inner Mongolia, China, Mongolia Background through the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products Brucellosis, a common zoonotic disease also referred to [4].
    [Show full text]
  • Land Degradation Monitoring in the Ordos Plateau of China Using an Expert Knowledge and BP-ANN-Based Approach
    Article Land Degradation Monitoring in the Ordos Plateau of China Using an Expert Knowledge and BP-ANN-Based Approach Yaojie Yue 1,2,*, Min Li 1, A-xing Zhu 3,4,5, Xinyue Ye 6, Rui Mao 2, Jinhong Wan 7 and Jin Dong 8 1 School of Geography, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; [email protected] 2 State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; [email protected] 3 Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; [email protected] 4 Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application and School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China 5 State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China 6 Department of Geography, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240, USA; [email protected] 7 China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100048, China; [email protected] 8 Bureau of Land and Resources, Feicheng 271600, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-10-5880-7454 (ext. 1632) Academic Editor: Yu-Pin Lin Received: 26 September 2016; Accepted: 8 November 2016; Published: 13 November 2016 Abstract: Land degradation monitoring is of vital importance to provide scientific information for promoting sustainable land utilization. This paper presents an expert knowledge and BP-ANN-based approach to detect and monitor land degradation in an effort to overcome the deficiencies of image classification and vegetation index-based approaches.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Land Use and Land Cover Change in Inner Mongolia Using Remote Sensing Time Series
    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin – Geographisches Institut Understanding land use and land cover change in Inner Mongolia using remote sensing time series DISSERTATION Zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades doctor rerum naturalium (Dr. rer. nat.) Im Fach Geographie eingereicht an der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät II der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin von M.Sc. He Yin Präsident der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz Dekan der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät II Prof. Dr. Elmar Kulke Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Patrick Hostert Prof. Dr. Thomas Udelhoven Prof. Dr. Tobias Kümmerle Eingereicht: 06. Juni 2014 Tag der Verteidigung: 05. September 2014 ii iv Abstract Monitoring land use and land cover change (LULCC) support better interpretation about how land surfaces are impacted by human decisions. The overall aim of this thesis is to gain a better understanding about LULCC in Inner Mongolia using remote sensing under consideration of China’s land use policies. With the largest scale land restoration programs in the world, China aims to reduce human pressure on lands and promote sustainable land use. As a hot-spot of environmental change, Inner Mongolia received the heaviest investment from the central government for land restoration. Yet the effectiveness and consequences of China’s land use policies in Inner Mongolia remain unclear. Remote sensing is an effective tool for monitoring land use and land cover change across broad scales, yet data limitations and a lack of available change detection methods hampers the capacity of researchers to apply remote sensing techniques for LULCC monitoring. To reliably map LULCC in Inner Mongolia, the opportunities and limitations of using coarse resolution imagery time series for monitoring long-term land changes was first examined.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded for Personal Non‐Commercial Research Or Study, Without Prior Permission Or Charge
    Yee, Ki Yip (2017) The late Qing Xinzheng (new policies) reforms in Mongolia, 1901‐1911. PhD thesis. SOAS University of London. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/26678 Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non‐commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this thesis, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", name of the School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination. The Late Qing Xinzheng (New Policies) Reforms in Mongolia, 1901-1911 KI YIP YEE Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD 2017 Department of History SOAS, University of London Abstract The aim of this thesis is to analyse the nature, imposition and effects of the late Qing xinzheng 新政 reforms in Mongolia, and to analyze the episode from its historical roots till the dynasty’s demise in 1911. Put simply, xinzheng was a modernization drive implemented throughout the Qing empire in order to save the dynasty from irreversible decline and, to a certain extent, to emulate the astounding success of the Meiji reforms in neighbouring Japan. For the purpose of this thesis, the analysis has been subdivided into the categories of agrarian policy, administrative reform, training of new armies, establishment of modern schools, introduction of new enterprises, exploitation of natural resources, construction of railways, and establishment of postal and telegram services.
    [Show full text]
  • CHINESE CERAMICS and TRADE in 14 CENTURY SOUTHEAST ASIA——A CASE STUDY of SINGAPORE XIN GUANGCAN (BA History, Pekingu;MA Arch
    CHINESE CERAMICS AND TRADE IN 14TH CENTURY SOUTHEAST ASIA——A CASE STUDY OF SINGAPORE XIN GUANGCAN (BA History, PekingU;MA Archaeology, PekingU) A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2015 Acknowledgements Upon accomplishing the entire work of this thesis, it is time for me to acknowledge many people who have helped me. First, I will like to express my utmost gratitude to my supervisor Dr.John N. Miksic from the Department of Southeast Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. He has dedicated a lot of precious time to supervising me, from choosing the thesis topic, organizing the fieldwork plans, to giving much valued comments and advice on the immature thesis drafts. I am the most indebted to him. The committee member Dr. Patric Daly from the Asian Research Institute and Dr. Yang Bin from the History Department, who gave me useful suggestions during the qualifying examination. I also would like to thank the following people who have given me a lot of support during my fieldwork and final stage of writing. For the fieldtrip in Zhejiang Province, with the help of Mr. Shen Yueming, the director of Zhejiang Relics and Archaeology Institute, I was able to be involved in a meaningful excavation of a Song to Yuan Dynasty ceramic kiln site in Longquan County. During the excavation, the deputy team leader Mr. Xu Jun and the local researcher Mr. Zhou Guanggui gave a lot of suggestions on the identification of Longquan celadon. Moreover, Ms. Wu Qiuhua, Mr. Yang Guanfu, and Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Unveiling the Walking Horse Culture in the Hexi Corridor
    Unveiling the Walking Horse Culture in the Hexi Corridor Abstract The Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province, China was the gateway to the Hexi Corridor, the hub of the Silk Road. The Fork Stage horse well-known for its flying pace (a.k.a “Tianzhu walking horse”) is an excellent local breed, whose high-spirited gait was captured by the Galloping Bronze Horse statue and known to the world, as the symbol of China’s tourism. Over a long historical period factors including ethnic customs, trade and business, politics and military affairs have formed a rich walking horse culture of breeding, training, trading, and racing. However, because traditionally the related knowledge and stories relied heavily on oral transmission, the literature on this subject is acutely lacking. In 2012 the teachers and students from Tianzhu No. 1 High School started synthesizing the connotations and changes of the walking horse culture from the oral narratives of ordinary folks, to learn more about the human ecology in the northwestern highland. Through the study, we found that due to the politics, economic, and social changes since mid 20th century in China, the walking horse culture has changed greatly in the past six decades, and is currently faced with both crisis and opportunities. A revival of this culture would need collaborative efforts top-down and bottom-up. Keywords: Horse Culture, Walking horse, Fork Stage Horse, Hexi Corridor, Flying pace, Tianzhu 1 Motivation In China's rapid modernization and urbanization process, many local history and culture not fully documented and studied are facing a crisis of accelerated annihilation.
    [Show full text]
  • Strategies to Alleviate Poverty and Grassland Degradation in Inner Mongolia: Intensification Vs Production Efficiency of Livestock Systems
    Journal of Environmental Management 152 (2015) 177e182 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Environmental Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jenvman Review Strategies to alleviate poverty and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia: Intensification vs production efficiency of livestock systems * David D. Briske a, Mengli Zhao b, , Guodong Han b, Changbai Xiu b, David R. Kemp c, Walter Willms d, Kris Havstad e, Le Kang f, Zhongwu Wang a, Jianguo Wu g, h, Xingguo Han i, Yongfei Bai i a Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA b Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Inner Mongolian Agricultural University, Hohhot, China c Charles Sturt University/University of Sydney, Orange, NSW, Australia d Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada e USDA-ARS, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM, USA f Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China g School of Life Sciences and Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA h Sino-US Center for Conservation, Energy, and Sustainability Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China i Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China article info abstract Article history: Semi-nomadic pastoralism was replaced by sedentary pastoralism in Inner Mongolia during the 1960's in Received 30 October 2012 response to changes in land use policy and increasing human population. Large increases in numbers of Received in revised form livestock and pastoralist households (11- and 9-fold, respectively) during the past 60 yrs have variously 22 July 2014 degraded the majority of grasslands in Inner Mongolia (78 M ha) and jeopardize the livelihoods of 24 M Accepted 27 July 2014 human inhabitants.
    [Show full text]