UNDERSTANDING THE GEOGRAPHIES OF CHINA An Assemblage of Pieces Luoyang pit house. BY ROBERT W. MCCOLL Sichuan-Tibet Frontier. Ningxia, Loess, north of Guyuan. Hong Kong harbor. Sand dunes of Dunhuang. Yangzi Valley — Three Gorges. Shenzen. Guangzhou. 4 EDUCATION ABOUT ASIA Volume 4, Number 2 Fall 1999 China not only has the world’s largest population (over 1.3 billion), but it also is an extremely large country (more than 9.5 million square kilometers) with immense physical and cultural diversity. In fact, China should be viewed as an assemblage of pieces much like Europe. Anyone who tries to teach the geography of China faces the dilemma of either being very general (almost superficial) or delving into so many aspects and details as to be unable to complete the task in a single semester. How does one integrate three thousand years of history, language, local cultural practices, diets, architecture, et al. with basic physical geographies and economics that range from subsistence farming and herding to sophisticated electronics and computer industries in cities like Shanghai or Shenzhen? o provide a sense of China’s SOME USEFUL THEMES REGIONALLY DISTINCTIVE diversity and its rich cultural Simply memorizing maps and map loca- CHARACTERISTICS fabric, one should probably tions is not geography. Understanding the MAY GENERATE REGIONAL, divide the political unit into interaction between a natural environ- CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC its natural parts, parts that ment and various human and cultural IDENTITIES are distinct both physically patterns is a major objective. These Everyone recognizes that any list of Tas well as culturally. Many of these provide not only a “sense of place,” but “typical” characteristics of a place will “parts” have had a distinct cultural they illustrate how people adapt have many omissions and even overlaps and political history as ancient kingdoms differently in different environments. with other places. Still, there are unique or states. Examples would include China is not one large homogeneous mixtures of foods, clothing, economics, the ancient states of Shu and Ba in mod- mass of people and behaviors. To fully etc. that give any region its own sense of ern Sichuan, or of Nanzhao in modern appreciate its geographic and cultural place or flavor—a kind of cultural finger- Yunnan. In fact, each of the geographic diversity, one needs to follow some print—a method of distinguishing and regions discussed below at one time general themes that can act as a kind of understanding differences that are real, contained a distinct and separate culture, guideline. Among the more useful but often subtle. It is these distinctions which over time have become melded themes in teaching and understanding the that we seek to teach. It is important to into what is modern China. Still, these diversity of China are: understand that not all Chinese are alike regions remain distinct in many respects. Vernacular housing/shelter—how or eat the same foods or talk the same But, one also should demonstrate the do people design their shelter to way or even think the same. For example, many ways in which China has been avoid climatic extremes and/or some speak of the “Yellow River Valley” “united” and how many of its canals and threats from invaders or neighbors? as a kind of uniform entity, despite its rivers have been evolved and used to Diets—What basic foods are avail- origins in the high Qinghai Plateau, “unite” these many parts. able, and how do they reflect basic passage through the arid loess plateau environmental conditions? and gorges of Shaanxi, and finally across Economy—Given the natural envi- the open plains of North China. It is the ronments, cultural preferences, and recognition of geographic diversity that access to more distant markets, what is an important objective and achieve- kinds of economic activity other than ment when teaching about the geography self-sufficiency can evolve? of China. Cities—Cities in China have tradi- tionally been centers of rule or Crescent Lake, Dunhuang. control, not centers serving their economic hinterland. Thus, most cities have important strategic locations, and these should be “discovered” and discussed. Regions—History and physical geography have often combined to A Yurt and Kirghiz family. generate distinct clusters of peoples and cultures. Often these have been “kingdoms” or “states” in the past. Photos courtesy of Robert W. McColl 5 Luoyang pit house. Ningxia, Loess, north of Guyuan. Typical terraces and crop mixtures in the Loess Plateau. THE NORTH CHINA PLAIN THE LOESS PLATEAU No geographic area While not as so typifies the stan- familiar to Sanmenxia pit house with fruit tree, fourteen to six- dard image or myth Westerners as teen feet deep. of China and the North or South Chinese as the China, the North China Plain. Loess Plateau Here are found the is an area of people who form the image of stalwart great historic farmers (peasants) living in closely importance to the Chinese. Most recently, packed villages and houses of mud or it was the site of the headquarters of adobe, although today many of these Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Simply memorizing maps and traditional dwellings are being faced Party just prior to their conquest of China in with fired brick. It is an area subject 1948. In ancient times, this region was the map locations is not geography. to the extreme heat and frequent meeting zone between the nomadic herders Understanding the interaction droughts of summer or floods of spring. of the Mongolian and Central Asian steppe Life on the North China Plain is one of and the more settled farming communities between a natural environment self-sufficiency and subsistence. And of what would become China. It was on the finally, the inhabitants of the plain have margins of the loess areas that the great and various human and cultural had to endure endless depredations by trading cities and capitals of empire first patterns is a major objective. armies and bandits who swept across the formed—Xi’an or Chang’an being the best area in search of food or other loot, but known. Because winters are harsh, water it is an environment of little surplus scarce, and trees even scarcer, traditional and no natural mineral or other wealth. It houses were caves cut into the friable loess. was a perfect environment for Christian Today, some forty million people still missionaries, and later the Chinese Com- live in underground (cave) housing. As munists, to bring a message of hope to the with North China, it was an area in which often utterly destitute. Still, it also was poverty and banditry traditionally were referred to as the “good earth.” endemic. Only the cities could become Mud-based, single-story houses wealthy and then only via trade with areas outside the immediate region. Wheelbarrows and canal boats for transport Cave houses or adobe construction Windy winters with dust Highly eroded and gullied terrain Wheat-based diets (especially Wheat noodles and sour cabbage steamed bread) dominate the diet Many small villages Colorful paper-cut designs Winter food emphasizes potatoes Use of mules and horses in transport 6 EDUCATION ABOUT ASIA Volume 4, Number 2 Fall 1999 Field and crop adjustments on the Sichuan-Tibet Hong Kong harbor from the new Y.M.C.A building. Brick homes in Guangzhou, southeast coastal area. Frontier. Sichuan, Dadu River, Moxi xiang. River reclamation/debris flow reclamation. THE SICHUAN BASIN THE SOUTHEAST COAST Among the AND SHANGHAI Chinese it This region cur- often is said rently (1990s) is that “Sichuan the area of the is the first most active eco- province to nomic growth and declare inde- development in pendence and China. It also was Cities emerge from rice paddies. View from the the last to be reunited after there is the region to first I-Forum hotel near the railroad station, Shenzen. peace.” Nothing so well illustrates the experience West- ability of Sichuan to be wholly autarchi- ern impact via the cal—self-sufficient from the rest of Opium War and It is important to understand that China—as this comment and its reality. “Treaty Ports.” It is an area with histori- In dramatic contrast to North China or cally the greatest number of Christian not all Chinese are alike or eat the Loess region, Sichuan is a province missionaries, Chinese Christians, and the same foods or talk the same and region that can produce virtually Christian churches. And, like so many any product grown anyplace in China. It distinct physical environments in China, way or even think the same. has sufficient surplus so that it has no it is dominated by ethnic peoples not fully need for imports of foods or even raw identifiable as “Han” who speak distinct materials. It truly is a land of indepen- languages and who often have closer dence—and its politicians (including ties to Chinese overseas than to those in Deng Xiaoping) and warlords have often Beijing. behaved that way. Its climate generally Ocean fishing and commerce is mild, and its location provides access Ocean ports and trade to every major economic and physical environment in China—Tibet, the Loess Seafoods and tropical fruits dominate diets Plateau, the Yangzi Valley, and the Southeast uplands. What it lacks is easy Teas are a regional specialty crop and secure access to the sea—but then Houses are of brick with elaborate does it really need this? tiled roofs, often with large gardens An interior basin of vast variety in Wealthy merchants construct massive climates and foods—from tropical to public buildings, bridges, etc. cold mountains A high living standard and densely populated Houses cling to sloped land, leaving flat land for food production Gateway to Tibet and mixed ethnic groups, especially in the Chengdu Plain Teahouses for social gatherings and gossip reflect free time from agriculture 7 XINJIANG Shadows of a camel caravan on the sand dunes.